He’s had a season largely to forget, but Bradley Wiggins’ bid to try to turn things around and perform strongly in the final weeks of 2013 is, according to the rider himself, looking to be on track.
Wiggins was today confirmed as the leader of the Sky team for the Tour of Britain, and states that he is in good shape for the race.
“I’m coming into the race feeling really good. It finishes in close proximity to the world time trial championships which is my main late-season goal,” he said.
“The Tour of Britain is always a tough event and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
The race begins in ten days’ time in Peebles, Scotland. Wiggins will be joined by fellow Britons Ian Stannard and Josh Edmondson, Austria’s Bernhard Eisel, Australia’s Mathew Hayman and the Spaniard David Lopez.
“I'm really looking forward to the Tour of Britain; it's a race I’m fond of and it’s nice to see it growing in stature each year,” Wiggins continued.
“The crowds and the roads make it special and it’s always very humbling to see the fantastic support that we get from the public.”
The 33 year old rider won the 2012 Tour de France and aimed to also take this year’s Giro d’Italia. However he was off form during the race and also became ill, pulling out of it. He missed the Tour de France but returned to competition in the Tour of Poland, where he dominated the time trial stage.
More recently he rode the Eneco Tour, although he had to be happy with fifth place in the race against the clock there.
Stannard made his debut in the Tour de France, helping Chris Froome to victory, and is now looking forward to his home tour.
“The Tour of Britain has become a massive event in the cycling calendar and I’m really excited to be racing at home,” he said.
“There’s a real enthusiasm for cycling at the moment – especially following Brad and Froomey’s Tour wins and the Olympics – so I’m really looking forward to competing again on British roads.
“We race all over the world but it’s always nice to compete in front of your home fans. With such a high-level race in the UK naturally I want to be there.”