I really enjoyed the first Training Camp. It was 10 days in length and great to finally get out there and ride our bikes together. The camp was held in Spain, close to Valencia. The hotel we stayed in had more than enough facilities to keep us busy if we had any energy left after training.

The weather was a little ordinary for the first couple of days so the hours we got to spend out on the road was limited however the weather cleared up for the final week of the camp and we got some really solid work done. I made a real effort to spend some time training beside everyone and also having a chat with each of the riders at dinnertime. It doesn’t take long for the personalities in the group to stand out, whether it’s the quieter guys or the jokers.

The launch was a great experience. The day was split in two parts with the SKY ride in the morning and the formal presentation in the afternoon.

The SKY ride was the first time all the riders donned their SKY team kit and were joined by 300 competition winners from across the UK for our first ride. The team and competition winners were split into three groups departing from different locations around London. Each of the groups made their way to Hyde Park where we joined forces to ride a few laps.

All the Team SKY riders and competition winners were all frozen stiff in the sub zero temperatures however it was a great experience.

During our get together back in November, each rider met with the team of coaching staff and directors to plan their season. I had a great chat with the staff and we decided that my plan would be to head to Europe at the beginning of January for the team presentation followed by the first training camp.

It was a difficult decision to skip the Australian races as I love racing in Australia and the support I get down under is like nowhere else. I missed the Tour Down Under in 2009 and arrived in Europe a lot earlier than in previous years. I was better prepared for the Spring and achieved some great results at the Ardennes Classics.