Wiggins: Tour was perfect Olympic TT preparation

Bradley Wiggins on podium, Tour de France 2012, stage 17

Bradley Wiggins goes into Wednesday's London 2012 time trial with 250km of racing in his legs from Sunday, but after the experience of the Tour de France, he's confident he can cope.

"We've just been at Tour for a month, hanging around the podium, standing up, doing press conferences. Some days we had a couple of hours drive in the bus." Wiggins said. "You've got a 250km race and three days to recover on your backside in a nice hotel."

"The Tour's a great 'worse case scenario' for giving you confidence for the Games."

Wiggins won both time trials in this year's Tour, and is a genuine medal contender, if not out-right favourite, for the Olympic TT. During the Tour's first time trial, 41.5km from Arc-et-Senans to Besancon he beat Sky trade and national team mate Chris Froome by 35 seconds and Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara by 57 seconds.

Current time trial world champion Tony Martin (Germany) was two minutes 16 seconds down after breaking his wrist in a crash on stage one.

In the Tour's final 53.5km time trial, on the penultimate day of the race, Wiggins again beat Chris Froome, this time by one minute 16 seconds. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain) was third. Both Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin had retired from the race by that point. "That last time trial was the best I've ever done in terms of numbers, and we had some tough days before that."

Usually a Tour rider would head striaight home after three weeks' of racing, and switch off. A few post Tour crits might be in order, but they're for entertainmnet not out-and-out racing.

Once a rider switches off, their performance can plummet, their diet and discipline becomes less strict and their body relaxes. Knowing that the Games followed a few days on from the Tour, the British riders have stayed 'in the zone'.

Team Sky Chef Soren Kristiansen is with the British team, making their food, as are the legions of coaching staff that provide the back-up the riders need so they don't experience a dip in performance.

"Everyone's in great shape," said GB performance director Dave Brailsford. "The Danger at the Tour is going in to descendency. But everyone's come out better than they went in. The question is managing fatigue. They look well and they've ridden the Tour knowing [they'll race the Olympics]."

"Allow [Wiggins] to taper and freshen up and with the rebound affect he can be very confident of being on top of his game."

London 2012: Live text coverage of cycling events

August 1: Men's and women's time trials

July 28: Men's road race

July 29: Women's road race

London 2012: Latest news

Cancellara in, Evans out of time trial

CW eyewitness: Remember the name

Cavendish finds solace in commitment of his team mates

The scene at Box Hill

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Bradley Wiggins' UKSI Olympic bike

Hoy helicoptered in for opening ceremony

Box Hill closed after local riders give security the slip

Boonen and Gilbert train on Box Hill Olympic circuit

Goss fresh for Olympic Games assault

Trott on top: London 2012

Hoy to be GB flag bearer at London 2012 opening ceremony

Millar: I think about Olympics all the time

Cavendish recognises advantage in missed Tour chances ahead of Olympics

Kenny not Hoy selected for London 2012 sprint

German and French Olympic teams sneak in fourth sprinter

Cavendish: GB's best bet for Olympic gold

London 2012: Team info

Men's road race start list

Women's road race start list

Men's time trial start list

Women's time trial start list

Team GB rider profiles

Great Britain track team confirmed

Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling team

British Olympic men's road race team announced

Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team

London 2012: Event guides

Olympic time trial routes announced

Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?

Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win?

Download detailed Olympic road race route map

London 2012 cycling schedule

London 2012: Reports

Cycling events medal table

Women's road race: Armitstead wins silver as Vos strikes gold

Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out

London 2012: Photos

Women's road race by Andy Jones

Women's road race by Graham Watson

Men's road race by Andy Jones

Men's road race by Phil O'Connor

Men's road race by Graham Watson

Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)

London 2012: Podcasts

Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud

London 2012: TV schedule

London 2012 BBC TV cycling coverage schedule

London 2012 Eurosport cycling coverage schedule

 

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Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.