Bradley Wiggins returns to team pursuit at Commonwealth Games

Sir Bradley Wiggins will make his track return at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday  (July 24) for only the second time since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Wiggins will slot into England’s line-up for the team pursuit on the first day of competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Since the Beijing Games, where Wiggins won gold in the individual and team pursuit, he has appeared on the track for Great Britain just once, helping the team pursuit squad score gold in the Manchester round of the 2010-2011 Track World Cup.

Wiggins will not, however, ride in the individual pursuit on Friday as previously reported. It was rumoured that Wiggins would attempt to better the current world record for the individual pursuit in Glasgow, a record currently held by Australian Jack Bobridge which stands at four minutes and 10.534 seconds. This will not happen.

Having trained with Wiggins ahead of their appearance in Glasgow, team pursuit stalwart Ed Clancy told the BBC that he thought Wiggins was not far from his career-best form.

“He just wants some confirmation that he’s still got it on the track, that he can still be a big player in the team pursuit,” said Clancy. “As soon as he dropped back in, he wasn’t too far from his best.”

Wiggins was named in England’s track squad after missing out on selection for the 2014 Tour de France. Though originally selected to ride in the road time trial, Wiggins will now not take part, concentrating solely on the team pursuit.

Wiggins has previously said that he wants to represent Great Britain on the track one last time at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. If Wiggins wins a single medal there, he will become Britain’s most decorated Olympian in history with eight medals. Retired track sprinter Sir Chris Hoy also has seven medals, but has six golds to Wiggins’ four.

An attempt on the Hour Record may also be on the cards.