Tour de France and Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins has been forced to retire from the 2012 Tour of Britain due to an overnight stomach bug.
Wiggins was a non-starter in Welshpool for Friday's sixth stage have suffering with gastric problems overnight.
"I'm sorry to have to pull out of the Tour," said Wiggins via a Sky team statement.
"I've loved the last six days, meeting so many people around the country and enjoying those crowds along the roads. It's been a great experience, but this bug sadly means I'll now miss the climax this weekend."
Wiggins is scheduled to take part in the World Championships road race on Sunday, September 23, as part of Great Britain's nine-man line-up. He is then slated to ride Il Lombardia (Tour of Lombardy) on September 29.
Wiggins has enjoyed his best season - and the best season of any British rider in history - clinching the Tour de France overall, gold in the Olympic Games time trial, Paris-Nice, Criterium du Dauphine and Tour de Romandie. He currently sits at the top of the UCI's WorldTour rankings.
Related links
Tour of Britain 2012: Coverage index
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