Wiggins gains on rivals in team-time-trial

One of the buzz phrases in modern day cycling is 'Marginal Gains'. Grabbing seconds here and there while you can and defending what you've got in order to win big races. If that's the Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins tactic for the 2013 Giro then they've got off to the perfect start in gaining nine seconds over the nearest team in today's team-time-trial.

Racing between Ischia and Forio, Wiggins and Sky completed the 17.4 km course in 22 minutes, 5 seconds moving Wiggins's team-mate, Salvatore Puccio into the Pink jersey. Indeed, had Cavendish stayed with Sky he'd still be wearing the race leaders jersey this evening!

It was a bad day out for Ryder Hesjedal and Garmin as they lost 25 seconds to Wiggins along with Vincenzo Nibali who lost 14 seconds. Marginal loses equal marginal gains and given that last years Giro was won by just 16 seconds you get an idea as to how important that might be. And who said cycling wasn't a team sport?



Don't expect Wiggins to have it easy for any length of time though. With an individual time-trial next Saturday his rivals will need to attempt to claw that time back right away or face losing even more time when they next race against the clock. Should Wiggins keep his composure, stay upright, stay with those who might try and attack him at any time, and do the kind of time-trial we know he can, he could well have more than a minutes lead before we hit the serious mountains.

We've three weeks to go. This was just one of four Sunday's in this Giro, but it's advantage Wiggins in the early going.