Wiggins cagey, but hints at the need to change teams
- Friday, 25 September 2009
- 9 Comments
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins has given the first indication yet that he feels he needs to change teams in order to fully realise his Tour de France ambitions.
In an interview for BBC TV's coverage of the World Championships he refused to be drawn on whether he would be seeking to leave Garmin-Slipstream at the end of this season in order to join Team Sky.
But he said: "It's a bit like trying to win the Champions League and to win the Champions League you go to Man United and I'm probably playing at Wigan at the moment. I'll probably have to make that step to do it."
It will do nothing to quieten speculation that Wiggins wants to leave Garmin for Team Sky this winter, despite having another year left on his contract. Regarding the speculation he added: "I'll leave it to the experts. It's unfortunate that. I've had a good time this year at Garmin but times have changed. I don't know, the Tour changed everything for me really so we'll see what happens."
Meanwhile, Wiggins also hinted British Cycling were keen for him to defend his pursuit titles at the London Olympics in 2012. Earlier in the summer Wiggins cast doubt over whether he would go back to the track in the light of his fourth place finish in the Tour de France.
"I think I'll always be back there in London defending my titles in the pursuit. Shane [Sutton, the British Cycling coach] tells me that, anyway. It's quite far away to really think about it. A lot's happened this year and it's still sinking in, but I'd like to be there in London, defending my titles, going for number three [his third Olympic individual pursuit gold]."
Also speaking to the BBC, Team Sky's principal Dave Brailsford said: "Key British riders may be under contract and we have to respect that."
Reader comments
Add your commentsSeptember 25 15:48
Mark
I really can't understand why anyone at Team Sky would be interested in signing Wiggins and his bad attitude baggage. Leave him to fester at Garmin and give younger talent a chance to flourish at Sky.
September 25 17:56
Andy
"Leave him to fester at Garmin"!? Bit harsh that!
September 25 19:25
Allen
Completely agree, I think Wiggins attitude is disgraceful. Garmin have brought him so much and he then describes them as a second division team. Similarly he slates another competitor, Larson, in the time trial. Not at all sportsman like.
September 25 19:27
Matt
Garmin to Sky would hardly constitute an upwards move would it? Have Sky even been granted a pro-tour licence yet?
September 26 06:19
Gavin
I think reading between the lines here, our Wiggo has made some off-the-cuff remarks to journos following his TT at the World's and these comments have been taken as truth. Personally, I think he was hurting inside when he did not do well in the TT, he then made some disparaging comments about Garmin which may have been from the bottom of a beer bottle. He is employed as a bike rider not a diplomat and I think you have to give the guy some slack here. No one like to lose like that. When he is good, he is very good.
September 26 07:56
Richard
Sky has a Pro-tour licence. I don't want to comment on Wiggo's attitude but I think it would definitely be a step up for him to move to sky. Bradley was obviously unhappy about a few things after the tour de france and now again because of material failing him in the TT. Bradley would gain a lot working with the experts at sky and being led by experienced team manager Scott Sunderland. Personally, I suspect the deal has been done already: Contador to Garmin, Wiggins to sky.
September 26 08:06
Clive
I agree with Mark. Spare us from Wiggo and his constant and childish disaffected search for greener grass. He is a thoroughly bad influence and will ruin Team Sky.
That said, I have little doubt that Team Sky will chase him, which – given that it will be hard enough to support anything funded by Rupert Murdoch’s perverted media empire - will be my cue to continue to support the likes of Saxo and Columbia, in preference to any UK squad.
It isn’t even as if Wiggo is a particularly well-liked person amongst other pro cyclists and dedicated cycling fans - and for that reason, I believe that selfish presence in the squad will ultimately make it much harder to get a good team spirit and attract / keep the real talent in the squad.
If this is really just about Wiggo speaking from the bottom of a bottle of beer, then his banal Twitter stream bears witness to the fact that he does far too much speaking from the bottom of a very big bottle of beer.
September 26 09:20
Velo SW9
Silly Wiggy should leave competitive road racing to the big boys and concentrate on teaching his wife to ride a bike (safely).
As for this tragic case of Wiggomania that seem to have beset certain quarters of the British cycling media of late: I am at a total loss to explain it, because it truly is totally inexplicable.. which I presume is why I see no evidence of it out here amongst the hardcore cycling fraternity. Vacuous cycling journos trying to ‘big up’ their equally vacuous drinking buddy?
September 29 17:14
Orlando
Wiggo's legs do his talking for him... I thought they made a convincing point in July, and I hope we'll get more of the same in 2010. If Garmin gets a chance to sign Contador, they'd be stupid not to. If Garmin signs Contador, Wiggo would be stupid to stay on. I think it's pretty simple. At least Wiggo doesn't ponce around trying to sound correct. I say let rip!