Tag: Bradley Wiggins

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UCI Road World Championships Longlist Announced

UCI Road World Championships Longlist Announced

UCI Road World Championships Longlist Announced2012/13 Tour de France winners Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome have been named in the GB longlist of 11 for the UCI Road World Championships, which begins September 22 in Toscana, Italy. Froome is set to lead the Men’s Elite Road team with Wiggins confirmed for the Time Trial, a solid choice given his Olympic gold in the event. Lizzie Armitstead and Lucy Garner – the Junior Road World Champion making her senior debut – are confirmed for the Women’s Road Race with Emma Pooley, the 2010 World Champion, set for the Time Trial.

 

Performance Manager Shane Sutton said of the squad selection: ‘I think the selection of the elite teams speak for themselves, we’ve got Olympic medallists, Tour de France winners and former world champions all in the mix and I think we could do well across the board there.’ Commenting on the inclusion of Adam and Simon Yates (both with solid performances at the Tour de l’Avenir; Simon taking two stages and Adam second overall) in the U23 Men’s Road Race Sutton added: ‘The Yates brothers have put some really impressive rides in on the road this season so I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do…’

 

The final selections for the UCI Road World Championships is expected to be announced shortly, but currently the longlists reads:

 

Men’s Elite Road Race – 8 places available: Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Josh Edmondson, Andy Fenn, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas, Jon Tiernan Locke, Bradley Wiggins

 

Men’s Elite Time Trial: Alex Dowsett, Bradley Wiggins

 

Women’s Elite Road Race – 6 places available: Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Nikki Harris, Lucy Garner, Sharon Laws, Emma Pooley

 

Women’s Elite Time Trial: Emma Pooley

 

U23 Men’s Road Race – 6 places available: Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Tom Moses, Joe Perrett, Alex Peters, Alistair Slater, Adam Yates, Simon Yates

 

U23 Men’s Time Trial: Joe Perrett

 

Junior Men’s Road Race: Scott Davies, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Matt Gibson, James Knox

 

Junior Men’s Time Trial: Matt Gibson

 

Junior Women’s Road Race: Anna Christian, Bethany Hayward

 

For a full schedule of the UCI Road World Championships see britishcycling.org.uk

 

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Team Sky Announce Tour of Britain Squad

Team Sky Announce Tour of Britain Squad

Team Sky Announce Tour of Britain SquadTeam Sky have announced their squad for the Tour of Britain, which begins on Sunday September 15 in Peebles, Scotland. Sir Bradley Wiggins will lead the six-man squad as one of three British riders, along with Josh Edmondson and Ian Stannard, in the team’s home tour.  Austrian Bernhard Eisel, Australian Mathew Hayman and David Lopez of Spain complete the line-up.

 

Speaking about the Tour of Britain Wiggins said:  ‘I’m really looking forward to the Tour of Britain; it’s a race I’m fond of and it’s nice to see it growing in stature each year. The crowds and the roads make it special and it’s always very humbling to see the fantastic support that we get from the public… I’m coming into the race feeling really good.  It finishes in close proximity to the world time trial championships, which is my main late-season goal.

 

Fellow Brit rider Ian Stannard added:  ‘The Tour of Britain has become a massive event in the cycling calendar and I’m really excited to be racing at home… There’s a real enthusiasm for cycling at the moment – especially following Brad and Froomey’s Tour wins and the Olympics – so I’m really looking forward to competing again on British roads. We race all over the world but it’s always nice to compete in front of your home fans.  With such a high-level race in the UK naturally I want to be there.’

 

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Hundreds Ride with Brad

Ride with Brad

Ride with BradDespite heavy rain showers hundreds of cyclists joined Bradley Wiggins yesterday for the (now) annual Ride with Brad sportive around some of his favourite training routes through Clitheroe and Trough of Bowland in East Lancashire. This year’s event, held in support of his charity the Bradley Wiggins Foundation which was set up to promote sport in the community, was complimented by a Festival of Sport in Victory Park, Barnoldswick. Riders set off with Sir Bradley, from Eccleston, at around 7am, on a choice of 50km, 100km, or 160km routes, with Wiggins returning to Victory Park just after noon to sign autographs and talk to the press. Amongst those taking part were fellow Olympians Laura Trott and Dani King now part of the Wiggle-Honda team supported, in part, by the Bradley Wiggins Foundation.

 

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Ride with Brad Sportive – August 11

Ride with Brad Sportive

Ride with Brad SportiveWith Wiggins not featuring in this year’s Tour de France, the  Ride with Brad Sportive is your chance to not only see the man in action, but ride alongside him too. This is one of the most scenic and low traffic areas in England, cycle through Lancashire’s most outstanding natural beauty spots – on a choice of routes of 50, 100 and 160km. With race HQ at Victory Park, Barnoldswick (map here), there will also be a whole range of activities for non-competitors at the accompanying Festival of Sport including fencing, rugby and a fun run. Post event Wiggo will be on hand and, if it’s anything like last years proceedings, there will be plenty of opportunity to meet and greet. Entry fees are £35 for the 50km option and £40 for both the 100 and 160km routes.

 

Bradley Wiggins says, ‘Come and join me on a challenging ride through the stunning Lancashire countryside and experience the roads and climbs I regularly train on… I look forward to welcoming you all and riding alongside many of you on what will be a special day for all the family.’

 

More information and registration at ridewithbrad.com

 

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Bradley Wiggins out of Tour de France

Bradley Wiggins out of Tour de FranceWith continued ill-health Bradley Wiggins will not defend his title at this year’s Tour de France, Team Sky have announced. Two weeks ago, a worsening chest infection caused his withdrawal from the Giro d’Italia and he returned home for treatment, rest, and further assessment of an on-going knee condition. During his period of treatment and recovery Sky say he has been unable to train with any intensity and consequently will not be able to race at this month’s Criterium du Dauphine or Tour de Suisse.

 

Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford today confirmed: ‘With illness, injury and treatment Brad has gone past the point where he can be ready for the Tour. It’s a big loss but, given these circumstances, we won’t consider him for selection… He hasn’t been able to train hard since the Giro and now he needs further rest. Whilst we all know these things happen in sport, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a huge disappointment for everyone in the team – and above all for Brad. It’s incredibly sad to have the reigning champion at Team Sky but not lining up at the Tour. But he’s a champion, a formidable athlete and will come back winning as he has before’

 

For his part Wiggins added: ‘It’s a huge disappointment not to make the Tour.  I desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way – but It’s not going to happen. I can’t train the way I need to train and I’m not going to be ready. Once you accept that, it’s almost a relief not having to worry about the injury and the race against time.’

 

‘I’ve been through this before, when I broke my collarbone,’ continued Wiggins, ‘so I know how it works. I’ll get this sorted, set new goals for this season and focus on those. This team has so many riders in great shape, ready for selection and we set incredible standards for performance, which shouldn’t be compromised.  We need to have the best chance to win.’

 

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Bradley Wiggins out of Giro d’Italia

Bradley Wiggins Out of Giro d’ItaliaBradley Wiggins dream of adding a Giro d’Italia win to his epic 2012 Tour de France victory are over as he retires ahead of today’s Stage 13 (Busseto to Cherasco) on the advice of Team Sky medical staff. A worsen chest infection saw the 33-year-old drop to 13th overall place after yesterday’s tough Stage 12 and with his prospects looking unlikely to improve the decision has been made to return to the UK for further tests and rest. With a strong group of eight riders remaining at the Giro, Team Sky will ride in support of Rigoberto Urán, who currently sits in third place overall, two minutes and four seconds off the race lead.

 

Outlining the situation, Team Sky Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: ‘We monitored Bradley overnight and this morning we’ve withdrawn him from the Giro after consulting the team doctor. His chest infection has been getting worse and our primary concern is always the health of our riders… Bradley will return to the UK today for treatment and to rest and we hope to have him back on the road as soon as possible. As a passionate racer he wanted to continue but he is simply unable to do so on medical grounds.’

 

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Bradley Wiggins vs Chris Froome?

Bradley Wiggins and Chris FroomeCould a storm be brewing? Bradley Wiggins, very much man of the year in 2012, has again stated his intention of defending his historic Tour de France title, whilst team mate Chris Froome – hot off his win of the Tour de Romandie – insists he will be the man to lead out the squad come June 29, commenting, ‘I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing.’ Wiggins had initially been expected to concentrate his efforts on the Giro d’Italia, which starts this Saturday (May 4), but has told reporters he will be looking for a double victory rather than playing any supporting role.

 

Kenya-born Froome, runner-up to Wiggins at last year’s TdF, insists that, ‘at no time has the leadership of the Tour (de France) team been in question’, yet Team Sky Principal, Sir David Brailsford, continues to maintain that a final decision is unlikely to be made until just days before the start.

 

In response to Brailsford’s pragmatic ‘I think whoever is in the best shape should be really’ pronouncement, Froome released a statement saying, ‘There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013… Attempting to win the Tour de France, is a massive undertaking and will take total commitment from each and every team member.’ Adding the rather pointed (barbed?) conclusion, ‘I have no doubt that the strongest and most willing riders will be there to support me.’

 

Inter-team rivalry rarely ends well; without resolution the situation could easily result in two losers, not one clear winner…

 

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Giro d’Italia 2013: The Sky Squad

Giro d’Italia 2013: The Sky SquadTeam Sky have confirmed their nine-man line-up for the Giro d’Italia 2013, which runs Saturday May 4 to Sunday May 26. The Sky squad for the 96th edition of the race will be lead out by Bradley Wiggins (a real contender for overall victory?) with strong support from Dario Cataldo, Sergio Henao, Christian Knees, Danny Pate, Salvatore Puccio, Kanstantsin Siutsou, Rigoberto Urán and Xabier Zandio.

 

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Sky, commented on the 2013 line-up: ‘We’ve had a good run into the Giro, have a strong squad and the preparation has gone well. The final touches have been put in place after the Giro del Trentino and we’re all set to go… It’s well-documented that the Giro has been a season goal for Bradley. With that in mind we want to get the best performance possible and try to win the race. If you work back from there you need support in the mountains and a strong nucleus of the team who can work hard.’

 

For his part Wiggins added, ‘Alongside the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix the Giro d’Italia is one of the biggest bike races in the world and one I’d love to win.  I’ve watched the Giro since I was a kid and have seen my idols win it, which makes it even more special.  It has always been a race that I’ve wanted to ride well in and I just can’t wait to get started… I believe the Giro team this year is just as strong as the Tour de France team last year and the results prove that everyone is ready to go.’