Velonews: Wiggins Happy Again After Leaving Sky



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<figure ><img title="Cycling: Road World Championships 2014 / TT Men Elite" src="http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2015/04/WiggoTT-320x213.jpg"/><p>Bradley Wiggins says he's optimistic about his upcoming hour record attempt, and he's enjoying his role as a mentor for his development team, which will race Tour de Yorkshire. Photo: Tim De Waele | <a href="http://www.tdwsport.com" target="_blank">TDWsport.com</a></p></figure><p>YORK, United Kingdom (AFP) — Olympic and world time-trial champion Bradley Wiggins said he was enjoying life again now that he’s left Team Sky and is focusing on track racing.</p>
<p>Wiggins became a legend in British cycling during his spell with Sky as he won the 2012 Tour de France, as well as a host of other prestigious races such as Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, and Critérium du Dauphiné.</p>
<p>But it all turned sour over the last couple of years as he was replaced by his former chief lieutenant Chris Froome as Sky’s leader for the Tour de France.</p>
<p>Wiggins never raced the Grand Boucle again after illness and injury forced him to forgo the 2013 defense of his crown, and he wasn’t even picked by Sky to be a domestique to Froome last year.</p>
<p>His goals changed, and he made an unsuccessful bid to bow out in style from Sky earlier this month when finishing 18th at the grueling cobbled classic <a title="Wiggins ends Sky career with guns blazing in Paris-Roubaix" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/news/wiggins-ends-sky-career-with-guns-blazing-in-paris-roubaix_366326"target="_blank">Paris-Roubaix</a>, a year after coming ninth in the Hell of the North.</p>
<p>But speaking ahead of the Tour de Yorkshire, which begins on Friday, and where he will be riding for a new team he created that carries his name, he says even his wife has seen a change in his demeanor since his Sky career ended and he decided to dedicate himself to the track and a tilt in June at the world hour record before bidding for a fifth gold medal at next year’s Rio Olympics.</p>
<p>“I’ve made quite a big shift, the goals have really changed now on the track,” said the 35-year-old.</p>
<p>“I was building to that [returning to the track] and have had a long time to think about that and be ready for that, so it’s been really good actually.</p>
<p>“The last few weeks I’ve been feeling quite liberated and happy again; my wife commented on that, she’s never seen me so happy, which is nice.”</p>
<h2>Relishing mentor role</h2>
<p>Wiggins originally made his name as a track cyclist, winning three Olympic gold medals and six world titles before concentrating on road racing.</p>
<p>A time-trial specialist, he developed into an able climber and overall grand tour contender, becoming the first-ever Briton to win the Tour de France.</p>
<p>Now he says he’s relishing his role as a mentor to young riders with the ambitions to perhaps one day emulate his own achievements on the road.</p>
<p>“We’ve got some young guys like Owain [Doull], and that in the team who really want to do well,” said Wiggins. “It’s a platform for him to hopefully go on to [ride for a] WorldTour [team] next year, so it would be nice to just help those guys and really put them in a position to do that.</p>
<p>“The goals really have changed for me now. The days have gone where I’d get all those guys riding for me.”</p>
<p>Doull is a twice European champion and world silver medallist with the Great Britain team pursuit squad, which Wiggins is rejoining for Rio.</p>
<p>Before then, though, will come Wiggins’ world hour record attempt at the London Olympic velodrome on June 7.</p>
<p>And he admits that, rather than the Tour de Yorkshire, is his focus.</p>
<p>“I’d like to stay safe [this weekend] because I don’t want to put the hour in jeopardy, but still be part of the race. I don’t just want to sit up every day at the back,” he said.</p>
<p>And Wiggins believes he’s on course to break the 52.491km mark set by Australia’s <a title="Rohan Dennis sets world hour record of 52.491km" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/rohan-dennis-sets-world-hour-record-52-491km_360345"target="_blank">Rohan Dennis</a> in February.</p>
<p>“So far, yeah, it’s gone well. Since Roubaix all the initial track sessions were way above what we’d [expected] because I hadn’t been on the track for a year.</p>
<p>“I didn’t really know where we were going to be in terms of the record, so that all looks pretty good.”</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/news/wiggins-happy-again-after-leaving-sky_368544">Wigginshappy again after leaving Sky</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com">VeloNews.com</a>.</p>

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