On one of the busiest race weekends of the season, the highlights for Team Sky were undoubtedly Juan Antonio Flecha's stunning victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Ian Stannard's hard-fought third at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne.

Michael Barry played a huge part in both those results and on the way home from Belgium we fired a few questions his way to get an insider's view on how the action had unfurled.

TeamSky.com: This weekend effectively marked the start of the Classics season so to get a win and a podium finish must give everyone heaps of encouragement for the races ahead?

Michael Barry: Yes, the weekend couldn't have gone much better. [Juan Antonio] Flecha's victory will definitely be a moment I will always remember fondly. He has fought for the win for years and he won with panache. On Friday he arrived at the hotel quiet and focused, which is the opposite to his usual relaxed jovial personality. It was evident he was ready to win. Ian Stannard's performance was impressive as well as the conditions were terrible and he was one of the toughest.

TS: Flecha's ride yesterday - and the teamwork behind it - really was something special, it must have been great to be part of that?

MB: It was fantastic. The team rode at the front from the start and were represented whenever we needed to be. Every rider played a role. Mat Hayman gave his wheel to Flecha, Russell Downing rode on the front tirelessly, Edvald [Boasson Hagen] controlled the group that was chasing Flecha and the rest of the team was elemental in positioning the leaders for the crucial moments and following all of the major attacks. After the race I received notes from a few ex-teammates that essentially said, 'Congratulations. Your team was amazing today'. That meant a lot.

Scott Sunderland and Steven de Jongh did a really good job as directors - letting us know the course and the tactics. The staff has also been working tirelessly the last few weeks and we, the riders, owe a lot to them for their hard work. Without them we would be useless.

TS: Does everyone take confidence from the fact that Flecha has been so close in the past but has now claimed such a dominant success in Team Sky colours? It suggests the training has been spot on - indeed there have been plenty of examples when you guys have said you are pleasantly surprised by how good your legs feel this early in the season.

MB: The team is on track and we'll continue to build as there is still room for improvement. Our fitness is good although, even more important is that everyone is in great spirits. When tackling some incredibly hard races in horrendous conditions morale and team work are key.

TS: Moving to Sunday and it was an incredibly gutsy ride from Ian Stannard - conditions looked horrendous, what is it like riding in such circumstances?

MB: I was rooming with Ian and on Saturday he was a little down as he didn't feel great on in Het Volk because he had hoped for better legs. With tenacity he lifted his spirits, rode aggressively and was one of the strongest men on Sunday. Ian has a massive engine and a lot of talent. The Belgian cycling world just discovered a rider who will animate the Classics in the years to come. A good Classics rider is powerful, tenacious, and tactically astute. Ian has those qualities.

TS: We're guessing the races you are focusing on now are Flanders and Roubaix - have the last two days whetted the appetite once again for those races?

MB: Definitely. We will be together as a team for the coming weeks in Italy and will continue to build as a group which will be key going into the next big push on the cobbles. We're still learning about each other, learning from mistakes and refining the way the team races. The more racing we do together the smoother we will operate.

TS: And finally, how about Milan-San Remo? You played a key part 12 months ago in Mark Cavendish's memorable win.

MB: It is one of the most beautiful races to ride and Team Sky will have a few of the favorites to win this race. I don't doubt we can achieve that if we race at our best and play our cards right - which we should.