Dismissing suggestions that he might end up missing next year’s Tour de France in order to fully target the London Olympics events, Bradley Wiggins has said that the Grand Tour will be priority number one for him in 2012.
On the basis of his win in the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Sky Procycling rider was tipped for a place in the top ten this year. He was fourth in 2009; team principal Dave Brailsford told VeloNation in a video interview that he was convinced a podium place was on this time round.
Wiggins also believes that he can perform highly in the race, and said that he will be fully focussed on it. “I have moved up so far in this general classification thing in the Tour de France and put in so much work to go to this level that I'm not willing to give that all up for a year to go on the track in a team event where I would have to rely on three other people being as fit as I am,” he told the Independent.
“That sounds quite selfish, but that is the level I've taken it to now in the Tour. The risks in the Tour could jeopardise the Olympics, but that is a risk I am willing to take. That is part of bike racing, that can happen in training, that can happen on the track.”
Wiggins crashed out of this year’s Tour, breaking his collarbone on stage seven of the race. He is back training now and is due to compete in the Vuelta a España. Brailford said that there would be a chance he could target the general classification there, but that it depended on him being able to build to a peak once more in the short time that is available.
Looking to 2012, Wiggins said that he will try to ride strongly in the Tour, but also in the Olympic time trial and team pursuit.
"I'm going to try and do everything," Wiggins told the newspaper. “That's part of the challenge and that's what makes it so great. I wouldn't be taking it on if I couldn't do it. But the Tour is unfinished business. The whole period will be a target, all seven weeks.”
He confirmed that the world time trial championships will be a big goal this season.