Has Wiggins still got this Lollipop?
It is the second day of the Commonwealth Games and with 10 gold medals for England and Scotland in just the first day Lollipop and I are reflecting on an excellent start.
For athletes like Swimmer Ross Murdoch and Renicks sisters Kimberley and Louise yesterday was a dream come true but for Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins it was a day to forget and reflect. Wiggins competed in just one event at the Glasgow Commonwealth games but his team had to settle for a silver medal in the men’s 4,000m team pursuit as Australia beat England in the final.
Wiggins said: “We were all on different levels,” as the team of him, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant finished more than five seconds adrift of their opponents.
He added: “We’ve had limited preparations for this and hopefully we will look back in two years’ time with gold medals around our necks thinking ‘this was the starting point in Glasgow.”
But Lollipop was not just surprised by the result. We expected Wiggins to take part in more events at the games like the individual pursuit and the time trial where he won Olympic gold in London 2012. However the 34-year-old chose to ride in just one competition and has now ruled out doing any grand tours. The 2012 Tour de France champ was not chosen for this year’s road event. Team Sky went for last year’s winner Chris Froome to lead who coincidently crashed out in the first week.
Although he has not ruled out all road events Wiggins said: “The road is quite cut-throat. The track feels more like a family and a closer-knit group of people.”
Our champ will now make track racing his priority as he targets gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
But has the senior gold medallist got what it takes to win in 2016?
Currently Wiggin’s only win of 2014 has been At the Tour of California, where he won the time trial on stage two by a margin of 40 seconds.
In the Tour de France Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali has all but wrapped up his overall victory after winning the summit finish at Hautacam.
In an event where Lollipop is used to seeing Brits triumph it’s disheartening to see Team Sky not in the running.
After being shunned by Team Sky Wiggin’s perception of road events have changed. In the past he has also admitted how he struggled with his rise to household-name status, and said there are times he wishes he had never won.
However after training in the velodrome our Champ has his eyes firmly set on 2016.
Wiggins said: “The last six or seven weeks since I’ve been back on the track have just been really refreshing and a good distraction from all of that Tour de France nonsense.”
His bitterness towards the event has been clearly noted by Lollipop but unfortunately so has his drop in performance. At 34 and after losing the Commonwealth Games final his game has taken a dip.
But there is still time. With Wiggins taking part in fewer events his concentration will not falter. But will his ageing legs?
Only Rio will tell Lollipop.
Recent Comments