Report: Bradley Wiggins abandons Grand Tour ambitions

Bradley Wiggins will end his professional road career at the end of next season and then focus on a track berth at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games according to an article published in The Times.

Cycling Weekly speculated in June the reigning Olympic time-trial champion may follow such a path with younger Sky teammates Chris Froome, who won the Tour last month, as well as Richie Porte having emerged as Grand Tour general classification leaders within the British outfit. 

"I'm going to continue to the next Olympics and try for a fifth gold on the track. That's the plan," Wiggins told the daily. "Having lost weight and muscle the last few years, I wouldn't be able to walk back into that team pursuit squad, so I'm not taking it for granted, but I am working towards that. It would be nice to finish the career with another Olympic gold."

The 33-year-old plans to see out his current contract with Sky, which expires at the end of next season, before shifting his focus fully to the Great Britain track squad.

Wiggins has endured a difficult year abandoning the Giro d'Italia in May, where he had overall ambitions but admitted to dithering after a second place finish to Alex Dowsett (Movistar) in the stage eight time trial where Vincenzo Nibali captured, and did not relinquish, the pink jersey.

"I don't mind admitting that Chris is probably a better Grand Tour rider than me," he said. "He is a much better climber, he can time-trial well. He has age on his side, he has no kids. That's fine.

"If Chris wants to, he could potentially win five Tours now. So if I want to win another Tour, I'd probably have to leave the team...I love this team. This is my home. I'm not going to go, ‘I want to be the leader still, so I'm off.' "

Wiggins is now focused on a gold medal campaign at the approaching time-trial world championships in Italy and is set to support compatriot Froome in the road race.

Twitter: @CyclingWeekly