Luke Rowe and Adam Blythe (Tour of Qatar)
Luke Rowe and Adam Blythe (Tour of Qatar)
Also excelling in Qatar, alongside Ian Stannard, was Team Sky team-mate Luke Rowe and Orica-GreenEDGE debutant Adam Blythe.
Rowe rode alongside Stannard throughout the race, the two ever-present in the front groups as Rowe spent time in the white jersey of best young rider.
Like Stannard, bonus seconds cost Rowe as Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) claimed the jersey in the end but the Welshman showed he too looks to be in good shape as spring approaches.
Blythe, meanwhile, riding for the Australian team for the first time, finished inside the top ten in four of the five road stages.
While his performances – the best of which was fourth on stage four – will not make headlines it marks a solid return to cycling’s elite for the Yorkshireman.