Wiggins at the Criterium Dauphine
© Tim de Waele
Although they might reasonably be his vest chance of securing a medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins is highly unlikely to be racing any track events at the Games.
The 2008 Olympics in Beijing saw Wiggins come away with gold in both the individual and team pursuit but the Englishman will maintain his focus on the road where he will target the Tour de France, the Olympic road race and then the time trial.
"The chances of him doing the team pursuit are really slim now," Team Sky’s race coach Rod Ellingworth told The Guardian. "I don't think he will be doing it. He wants to do the Tour then the road race and time trial at the Olympics."
Earlier this year Wiggins had said that he believed a medal was achievable in both the team pursuit and the road time trial, yet the training that would be necessary for the track event would inevitably detract from his preparations for the road. Since his 4th place ride in the Tour in 2009 Wiggins has targeted the French race as his main aim of the season.
The Briton has an impressive track palmares that features several World Championship golds and Commonwealth Games silvers but he is now very much a road specialist.
The British oursuit coach Dan Hunt id hint that Wiggins could step in though if that was necessary, such was his class on the boards.
"He doesn't have the track in his program at the moment. It's certainly not his priority.
"His priority is the time trial and road race, but he does have the proven ability to step in with a few days' preparation as he did before the Manchester World Cup last season,” Hunt said.
