Wiggins signs four-year contract with Team Sky
- Thursday, 10 December 2009
- 12 Comments
Bradley Wiggins has signed a four-year contract with Team Sky.
The 29-year-old British rider said: "It's been an amazing year for me and my ride at the Tour de France [where he was fourth overall] has given me the drive to aim even higher.
"I know I can continue to develop and Team Sky is the perfect place to make that happen. Moving to Team Sky is like coming home."
Dave Brailsford, the team principal, said: "Brad will be at home for Team Sky. It's the perfect fit and he will be a marquee rider for us.
"Brad was a real revelation at this year's Tour de France and has been hugely successful for British Cycling and his Olympic success has brought wide recognition.
"His presence will not only help us on the road but with the wider aims of inspiring people to not only follow the team but also to get out and ride, whatever their age and ability."
Wiggins joins Team Sky from the American Garmin-Slipstream team. His previous teams are Linda McCartney (2001), Française des Jeux (2002-2003), Crédit Agricole (2004-2005), Cofidis (2006-2007), High Road/Team Columbia (2008) and Garmin-Slipstream (2009). He has signed to ride for Team Sky until the end of the 2013 season, by which time he will be 33.
Related links
Wiggins signs four-year contract with Team Sky
Team Sky set to unveil Wiggins
Team Sky: As it happens
Bradley Wiggins: Rider Profile
Vaughters reacts to losing Wiggins
Reader comments
Add your commentsDecember 10 12:16
Dave
Unfortunate for Garmin but it is the right result, money aside would you want a rider in your team whose heart lies elswhere. If Brad failed to better his 4th Place by remaining at Garmin when he preferred Sky there would always be doubt in the knockers minds that he did not try hard enough
December 10 19:02
Blueryder
Sadly Wiggins shows a lack of class.
A year ago he was nowhere as a roadie - often mocking road cycling in tv interviews.
Garmin supported his ambitions and his team worked hard for him in le Tour.
He repays them with treachery.
He described himself as wanting more than Wigan.
Sky will probably turn out to be Accrington Stanley.
I won't wish him well.
December 10 20:02
Guy
..only time will reveal if it is the right move.
December 10 20:21
Ian
BRILLIANT!!! Simply brilliant news......GO Bradley......Wishing you all the best in The Tour for 2010, we know you can do it.....
December 10 23:08
Lee
I really wished Wiggens had stayed at Garmin...whatever happened to team spirit ? That team worked so hard for him this year and this is how they are repaid !! I suppose everbody has their price though !!
December 10 23:42
paul
right or wrong, lets all support our British rider, give him a chance.
December 11 10:53
Dvae H.
Don't be suprised if Wiggins is a non factor in 2010 tour. So many riders have one good tour and think they are gods, only to be a non factor the next year and the next. Michael Rogers, Cunego, Vandevelde, all come to mind
December 11 16:47
geoff gartrell
Oh dear!!
The Garmin team was a tried and tested Tour team; the Sky team only have a handful of riders capable of a three week tour and an unknown quantity. Also, will Sky TV start showing road cycling? I won't hold my breath.
December 11 17:44
Andy
The people who showed real class was Jonathan Vaughters and Garmin for taking such a measured approach and realising that a legal battle was in no one's interest.
The rest look shabby. Let's hope they will redeem themselves on the road.....
December 13 11:44
Julian C
Why Bradley Why? Seriously why are you leaving a well established very well run pro-team for a team where there is little experience of running a pro team (although admittedly very good at running British Cycling)? Also as others have stated a serious lack of Tour quality in the Sky team.
But more worryingly I think Sky have set a precedent for praising under contract cyclists from other teams (Ben Swift and now Wiggins) that can only be bad for the sport.
While I wish Wiggins well he has lost a lot of my respect.
December 13 13:40
Bfg
Why did he bother to sign a four year contract? Does this mean he will be looking for a new team after two years!
Anyway good luck to him at Team Sky.
December 15 11:54
Guy
..bread head Brad.