by Talek Harris

ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan 21, 2010 (AFP) – Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford on Thursday denied he was under pressure to deliver after the rich new British outfit set its sights on an ambitious Tour de France title.

Brailsford, a key architect of Britain’s eight cycling golds at the 2008 Olympics, said he welcomed the challenge of trying to produce the country’s first ever winner at the blue riband event.

“It’s bike racing. Nobody ever died from a lack of bike racing,” Brailsford told Bicycle.net during the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Sky’s debut race.

“It’s a sport, yes we’re here to win, yes we’re here to be serious, yes it’s people’s careers. But ultimately every day’s an opportunity in life, isn’t it?

“You just go and take those opportunities, and as soon as you start seeing those opportunities as threats it’s probably the day that you should pack up.”

Brailsford added that he was delighted with Sky’s start after their rider Greg Henderson won Sunday’s pre-Tour Down Under street race — the team’s very first outing — and he lies second overall after three stages.

“We couldn’t ask for much more at this moment in time, but you don’t want to run before you can walk,” Brailsford said.

The team, whose sponsor Sky TV is closely associated with football’s globally popular English Premier League, reportedly has a multi-million-pound budget which outstrips its ProTour competitors.

Team Sky have already gained a reputation for meticulous preparations and use of technology, including stringent equipment tests and a state-of-the-art team bus which have caught the eye of rival teams.

“Everyone’s expecting us to do all these technical innovations but I think any team’s built on solid foundations, and that’s about the basics: communication, having that knowledge of each other, looking after each other,” Brailsford said.

“Just doing the basic things before you add on anything else. I think if you chase after all the innovations straight away without getting the foundations right it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Brailsford, who also remains performance director of the British cycling team, said he was now searching for a way to overhaul Tour Down Under leader Andre Greipel, who powered to sprint wins on the first two days.

“I think it’s fair to say Greipel’s the strongest sprinter, there’s no doubt about it. So how do you beat the strongest sprinter?

“You need a team effort with a bit of cunning. It’s the only way it’s going to happen.

“So I think our plans are around being cunning and smart and thinking it through and thinking whether there’s any tactical way we can beat the guy’s brute strength.”

Sky have signed a number of riders including British Olympic star Bradley Wiggins, who placed fourth in last year’s Tour de France and will spearhead their inaugural campaign in July.