Wiggins changes his plans
The new British cycling team Sky had high hopes when they chose Bradley Wiggins as their leader. While they openly admitted that a Tour de France victory was not in the cards this year, Wiggins still targeted a top-five finish. But now the British contender has had to admit that he does not have the same form he had in 2009.
Wiggins, who stands in 18th in the overall classification as of stage 14, was at his best this year after stage 7 brought him to 11th overall, but he performed poorly on the mountainous stages 8 and 9.
"If I don't come fourth or better this year it can be seen as failure by some people, so I set myself up for this last year," Wiggins told British newspaper The Guardian. "I had one instant of disappointment when I realixed I wasn't with the best of them [on stage eight], but you can either sulk or try to make the best of it."
The Brit still has the benefit of the final trial, and he has said he means to focus on his strengths through the Pyrenees. His Tour finish in 2009 has left him feeling the pressure of expectation, but this year’s Tour is a very different thing and Wiggins is therefore playing it differently.
"The reality is that I'm not with Alberto Contador or Andy Schleck, but then behind those two there is a big gaggle of guys down to about 15th, and the order we are in could well be tipped on its head in the Pyrenees."
The Team Sky leader said there was no way to account for the skill of Contador and Schleck, and the unpredictability of the Tour so far is a result of their unaccountable performances. Still, there are eight places left in the top ten, and Wiggins aims for consistency through the Pyrenees that will keep him close enough to the top contenders to jump ahead in the final time trial.
"At this point last year, we hadn't had anything like the stages we've had now," he said. "There was a long prologue, a team time trial that separated the GC [general classification] contenders quite a bit, a summit finish where I held on to a 15-rider lead group, and Contador, [Lance] Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden all in the same team and up there overall."
Despite being disappointed in his own form compared to 2009, Wiggins is concentrating on his progress from track specialist to general classification contender, but he is still lacking in climbing skills. Wiggins again fell behind in stage 14, the first mountain stage, finishing in 36th behind stage winner Christophe Riblon, dropping him to 11:30 behind Schleck, the Tour leader in overall classification.
Australian journalist John ‘Iffy’ Trevorrow managed to take Wiggins’ guard down and get him to speak about his form after the stage.
"I just don't have the form. I'm not going to lie to you. So I'm trying my hardest and just battling on, rather than give up. It's as simple as that. I just haven’t got it like last year, it's as simple as that. I don't know why. I just feel consistently mediocre... Just sort of plateau."
The Brit said his fourth place finish last year was a fluke. His good form was an accident and there were no plans to aim for a top-five finish but he just fell into it. He, and the team, thought he could re-create the same form, but he says they were wrong. Despite facing further disappointment in the next three stages, he has no intention to throw in the towel, relieved that the pressure has be released and he no longer has to prove anything.
"All you can do is keep pushing on,” he said. “The race is still going on and I think I have a duty to the team and their commitment, and to the Tour de France. The amount of support out there is fantastic and I'd hate to just sit up and give up. I'll just keep pushing hard and then comeback next year and try again."
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