Kjell Carlström is Team Sky's only Finnish rider - and his country's road race champion, too. It means that he will race - until the 2010 championships, at least - in his national champion's jersey, modelled on the Finnish flag, being all-white with a blue cross.

Carlström describes himself as an all-rounder as a cyclist - and he was a versatile sportsman as a youngster, too. "I played soccer, ice hockey and all the team sports when I was a kid," he says. "I like being part of a team, I really do."

While many will regard cycling as an individual sport, for Carlström it is the team aspect that is most appealing. "It's a hard sport but being in a good team makes it bearable," he says. "It's the best part of being a pro cyclist for me, and it can keep you going when you have a job to do for the team."

Not that the 33-year old is always restricted to the role of team helper. In 2008 he achieved his career-best result, winning stage three of Paris-Nice, the spring stage race known as the 'Race to the Sun'.

"I went better than I ever thought I could there, staying with my breakaway companion, Clément Lhotellerie (of France), on the climb, and managing to beat him in the sprint," says Carlström. "I had a good winter in Australia that year and I came back to Europe with great form. Generally I am stronger at the end of the season."

Carlström has ridden three Tours de France, going close to a stage win in 2006 when he placed second on stage eight, behind another rider who has signed for Team Sky, Frenchman Sylvain Calzati. "I would love to win a stage in a Grand Tour," says Carlström, "especially the Tour de France."