Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling) has confirmed that he will start the Vuelta a España following his unexpected exit from the Tour de France. Wiggins, who according to his team was in great form and poised for a high finish in the race, crashed on stage seven and broke his collarbone.
The Briton wrote on his Twitter page, “For everyone asking op [operation] went well, feeling more human this evening and am already planning for end of the season.”
“All focus on Worlds TT now as the big one for the end of the season with most likely prep being the Vuelta which will be a first for me,” added Wiggins.
Wiggins, who is in his eleventh year as a professional, will start the Vuelta a España for the first time. The 31 year old has had an ideal season that was centered on the Tour de France. He showed his form was on track when he won the Critérium du Dauphiné two weeks before the Tour started, then took the British road race title.
He’ll now hope to carry that form into Spain’s national tour, which he’ll use to prepare himself for the World Time Trial championships in Copenhagen. Besides being the national road champion, Wiggins is also the current British national time trial champion. Doing the Vuelta will mean he will miss the opportunity to defend the title he has won the last two years, as the races overlap.
His last participation in the World Championships was in 2009 when he finished 20th in the race against the clock after mechanical issues. He has twice finished in the top ten of the event.