Sir Bradley Wiggins has made an exciting return to the Tour de France peloton, only this time from the back of a motorbike.
The winner of the 2012 Tour has got up close and personal with stage one of the 2019 edition following along on the race bike.
Wiggins, who retired from racing in 2016, will be following the race as part of his work with Eurosport where he has been an expert pundit.
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After offering analysis of the Giro d’Italia from the Eurosport studio earlier this year, Wiggins has got stuck in at the Tour as a motorbike reporter, offering his insight will pursuing the race on the back of a race bike.
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On his new role at the Tour de France 2019, Wiggins said: “This is going to be a whole new experience for me and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m going to be right in the thick of things, giving fans something a little different. I think it’s going to be really exciting.”
The unexpected development has caused quite a stir in the cycling world, with the likes of Rally Cycling pro Abby Mickey sharing her excitement online.
She said: “Just watching the Tour on Eurosport and they’ve got Wiggins on a scooter on course doing commentary and I am THRILLED.”
Wiggins is part of a revamped team covering Grand Tours for Eurosport, which was launched at the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
Lead presenter Orla Chennaoui joined the channel this year, with regulars Brian Smith, Rob Hatch, Carlton Kirby and Sean Kelly also contributing.
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Eurosport’s senior director of production and broadcast, Jamie Steward, said: “We are continually exploring new innovations to provide further insight to the fan. Bradley’s new role will bring an extra element to our coverage and allow viewers to enjoy a truly immersive experience.
“We are committed to powering people’s passions and this couple with every stage broadcast live and in full will deliver our most comprehensive coverage ever.”
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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