Senior sports director Scott Sunderland is delighted with the way Team Sky burst onto the scene at the Tour Down Under.

The seven-strong group of riders claimed a one-two victory in their first-ever race at the Cancer Council Helpline Classic and finished things off in exactly the same style over the final stage.

Sunderland watched intently as Greg Henderson, who was third in the overall standings, Chris Sutton and Mathew Hayman bonded quickly with their new European team-mates and believes that performance in Adelaide can prove the inspiration for further successes over the coming months.

He said: "It's great to see the job they've done. They knew the importance of a positive start and they've really put Team Sky on the ProTour map.

"I've obviously been in close contact with (sports director) Sean Yates, who's pretty happy with the way things went. And I've since spoken to Mathew, Greg and Chris to get their feedback and been really happy with the way they are all gelling together.

"That trio all knew each other pretty well and had been cycling together - albeit not all for the same team - at the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic earlier in the month. That meant they were a step or two ahead of the others, but it was good to see how the other four all fitted in.

"Davide, Swifty, Froomey and Russell were a little bit behind in terms of their training, due to the bad winter we've had in Europe, but they've all done a great job and will really have benefitted from the race.

"They will have learnt a lot about themselves, the way they slot into the team, and the roles they have in the peloton."

Sunderland admits there are areas he'll be looking at with an eye on the future, but was delighted with the effort the riders put in against their new ProTour rivals.

"The first race back each season can be tough for even the most established teams," he added.

"So while there are a few little things we can work on, I think overall we've got to be pretty pleased with the way it all went."