Earlier this week I posted my preview of next year's Tour de France. Today comes the news that the British based Team-Sky have netted one of the two goals they were most keen to when the outfit was announced.
Sprint King Mark Cavendish may be remaining loyal to his team, indeed lead out train, at Columbia-HTC, but the other British star of last years tour Bradley Wiggins seems set to be the team leader as the team prepares for France in July, he's announced he is leaving Garmin-Slipstream to join the British outfit next year.
The three time Olympic Gold Medalist and multiple world champion on the track, finished fourth in last year's race. If it hadn't been for the return of seven time winner Lance Armstrong to last summers race, he may well have been on the podium on the day that Cav led the race over the line in the sprint on the Champs d'Elysses. Wiggo will be joining Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Russell Downing, Peter Kennaugh, Chris Froome, Steve Cummings and others in flying the flag for British cycling on the roads from now on with Team Sky.
Wiggins has also said that in last year's Tour de France it was like entering the Champions League with Wigan instead of Man United. He is teaming up again with Dave Brailsford the man who has been behind the success of the GB cycling team on the track including Wiggins earlier career. Having dominated the track Brailsford now thinks GB riders can dominate on the roads. With Wiggins on the team there is a real chance of a Brit finally making the podium in Paris, we already have in Mark Cavendish the man most likely to take the Green sprinter's jersey, but he needs his team to be geared to that goal.
Wiggo has to beat Contador, though.
ReplyDeleteCan't see any reason he can't come second, but Contador is still the best cyclist I've seen since Indurain.