I felt was immense. We had done it. We had won the most important stage for sprinters in the Tour de France.

I had been feeling a lot of pressure from the team in the previous weeks about my performances, my problems and generally the bad run that I?ve had in the last 18 months. To win this stage and Thor to be so happy with the way that I ushered him through the last 2 km was a great relief that lifted some of the burden I've been feeling. Talking with him after the race, I told him that I was a little disappointed as I felt I still had a little more to give on the last straight and wanted to take him to the 200m mark but as it was, he said it was perfect. He felt he had had such an easy ride in the last 2km that out of the last corner he was able to roll smoothly on to the wheel of Robbie and wait till he felt like he wanted to go. It was a fairy tale ending for us, as well as a fairy tale beginning.

After the finish, I was straight back to the team bus to see my family. I was incredibly excited, fizzing from the victory and now to see my little fella. Unfortunately, he wasn't as excited as the million or so spectators who were buzzing around the bus as he lay fast asleep in his buggy. I wanted to pull him out and wake him up to let him know that I was there but at the same time there was something phenomenal about watching him sleep so soundly right in the middle of a heaving mass of cheering people. I guess that there are just some things more important in life. So I let him sleep and half hour later I got to have my moment with him and Carole.

Julian

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