Bradley Wiggins has won his first road world title at the World Championships in Ponferrada, beating three-time champion Tony Martin by just 26.23 seconds across the hilly 47.1k Spanish course. Wiggins finished second to Martin in 2011 and 2013 and commented afterwards, ‘Once I saw the course I realised if I was ever going to beat Tony again it was on a course like this.’
Overturning a deficit of four seconds at the opening intermediate split, a controlled ride saw Team Sky’s Wiggins gradually put time into his competition, extending his margin over a gruelling final climb to finish as a resounding winner. Holland’s Tom Dumoulin placed third.
In addition to his six world titles on the track, four Olympic golds, and a Tour de France victory, Wiggins is also a three-time national champion against the clock, as well as the national road race champion in 2011.
Commenting on a year that hasn’t always gone exactly to plan for him, Wiggins added: ‘It’s been an up-and-down year and I want to dedicate this to my family. My wife and children back home have always been there for me and had to put up with me. This was my last world time trial championships, so to finish it with a gold medal – I don’t know what to say.’
