Bradley Wiggins not guaranteed a place in Olympic squad, says Sutton
Sir Bradley Wiggins still faces stiff competition for a place in the British squad for the Rio Olympics in August according to Shane Sutton
Sir Bradley Wiggins's performance in the upcoming UCI Track World Championships will probably go a long way to securing his place at the Olympics in August, but coach Shane Sutton insists the six-time medallist is not guaranteed a place.
Wiggins is part of the team Great Britain is sending to the World Championships at the start of March and is likely to be part of the final quartet selected to to ride the team pursuit, but there are other riders still battling to take his place.
"It's an evidence-based selection he's involved in," British Cycling's technical director, Sutton, told BBC Sport.
"Brad has to go out and produce in London which will determine whether he makes the road to Rio or not."
>>> Bradley Wiggins gets starring role in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em special for Sport Relief
Sutton admitted that the squad selected for the World Championships in London is predominantly the final Olympic squad, but says other riders will still have the chance to work their way in if they impress between now and August.
"Like everybody else, Brad is definitely under pressure. But Brad's the ultimate professional," he said.
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"They're not going to put their head on the block if they're not up to the job, and Brad would de-select himself if he didn't think he could do the job - but I'm quite sure he can.
"There's a foot in the door for anybody who goes to London, this is predominantly our Olympic squad, but that's not to say that people can't come from left field."
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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
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