Michael Barry felt Team Sky's results at the Etoile de Bessèges didn't quite reflect how much progress they've made.

Nicolas Portal finished highest on the general classification in 44th place but the event was dominated by sprint finishes and a bug which swept through the peloton.

Barry himself was affected earlier in the week while John-Lee Augustyn, Peter Kennaugh and Steve Cummings were all forced to miss Sunday's fifth and final stage.

Barry, who has given TeamSky.com viewers the inside track all week, said: "This race has provided a nice stepping stone for us and we have learned about each other and are quickly becoming a team.

"It's just a shame we were hampered by the illness but the boys should rebound in a few days and will be ready for the training camp this week.

"The team's results didn't really tell the story of the race. We lacked a sprinter so weren't able to get the results we desired but the team is strong and was in the front throughout the stages and during the hardest moments."

Challenge

Speaking about Sunday's final stage, Barry added: "Racing with half the number of riders that other teams have is a challenge as it is difficult to control the race.

"The stage ended up being formulaic and controlled by the leading team, Cofidis - it again came down to a field sprint so we simply rode together near the front to make sure we didn't miss any major moves or splits."

All five stages ended with the peloton reeling in breakaways to set up sprint finishes and Barry added: "The fact that the stages ended in sprints was abnormal as the courses were undulating and reasonably hard for this time of year.

"Historically in the race the peloton has always come apart on a few of the stages. The speeds were high so it shows the overall level in the peloton is fairly high for this time of year."

Wider perspective

Two vastly contrasting pieces of news were conveyed to the riders during the course of the day, the first being Team Sky's win in the opening team time trial at the Tour of Qatar.

"Sean [Yates] told us over the radio during the race that they had won convincingly," confirmed Barry. "It did give us all a big lift. The team has definitely set off on the right foot and is working well together on all fronts."

However that was overshadowed by the tragic death of of former cyclist and Italian cycling team head coach Franco Ballerini.

He died on Sunday morning after an accident in a rally in Larciano, Tuscany.

The 45-year-old was a former two-time Paris-Roubaix winner and also claimed the Paris-Brussels race in 1990. He had been Italy's head coach since 2001 and during his time in charge had led the team to one Olympic gold and four world titles.

Team Sky's riders in Qatar were quick to pay tribute and their thoughts were echoed by Barry who told us: "We were told just before the start. The news is terrible. My thoughts and prayers went to his family as we sat on the line in silence.

"I can't even imagine what they're going through right now. It definitely does put everything in perspective and is a good reminder to embrace every moment and to live that moment with passion."