Bradley Wiggins reflects on his ‘petulant’ side after Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas treatment

Exclusive interview: The 2012 Tour de France winner has compared his own experience after Team Ineos opted to leave the British riders at home for this year’s race

Bradley Wiggins reflects on what he describes as his “petulant” side on the dawn of this year’s Tour de France after pondering Ineos’ decision to ruthlessly shuffle their pack of talented riders.

The dust has now settled after Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome, with five Yellow Jerseys combined, were discarded ahead of cycling’s most glamorous race, leaving them to stew over the consolation of fronting up their team at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta d’Espana later this year.

Sir Dave Brailsford, the mastermind behind Ineos, has an enviable roster of talent at his disposal once more, including defending champion Egan Bernal and 2019 Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz. It is the kind of competition that resonates with Wiggins following the crushing call to nudge him aside back in 2014, though he stresses the circumstances were crucially different.

“I was a completely different ball game, I was told I wasn’t doing it,” Wiggins tells The Independent while preparing to be the face of The Breakaway, Eurosport’s daily post-race show throughout the Tour.

“I was a different kettle of fish, I was petulant, I wasn’t on the same level as those two professionally, I didn’t do myself any favours.

The Tour de France will not see as many fans this year (Getty)

“I was a different person. It is what it is, it’s a long time ago now. But it’s what made me a good cyclist, who I was, I’ve had to fight all my life. I probably continued that into my professional career, being insular, introverted and single-minded – it’s probably why I had the success I had.

“There were times when that wouldn’t fit into a team situation, but that’s just the way it is. I don’t care.

“Everybody’s different, the fact I can admit that, spot that and change, be self-aware enough to change my life around, it’s probably more credit to me really. Everybody’s different, I’m just happy I did what I did.”

A bemused Thomas made light of the situation following the team’s announcement, mocking his hair and bemoaning what has been “a funny old year” as a result of Covid-19.

The 2018 Yellow Jersey holder is known to delve into the history books of the sport, with this admiration fuelling a drive to capture a Pink Jersey in Milan this October, which would surely cement his legacy as British cycling’s most decorated rider.

It is an intriguing part of the puzzle for Brailsford as Wiggins maintains his former teammate could have forced his way onto the start line in a sunbaked Nice this Saturday.

“If Geraint had really wanted to go, I think Dave would have picked him,” Wiggins insists. “I think the decision would have lied more with G, I may be wrong.

Chris Froome, centre, will make way as Egan Bernal, centre left, leads the Tour (Getty)

“But knowing the respect he has for those riders. I think G would have been more in control of this decision than people think.

“He’s one of the most professional riders I’ve ever been with, so is Chris Froome, I don’t think there’s any part of those two where they wouldn’t have been part of that decision.”

Spoilt for a decade, British cycling will have little presence in the Pyrenees and Alps over the course of the next few weeks.

This peculiar race, given the restrictions in place due to Covid-19, will see many of the roads deserted and without the customary mob of fans usually able to reach out and touch their idols. That is a pity for the sport given the mouth-watering prospect of Ineos finally being forced to stagger onto their back foot after the emergence of the formidable Jumpo-Visma.

The ambitious Dutch outfit hope to be led by last year’s Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic, though the Slovenian is still a doubt after being left battered and bruised from a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine. The 2017 Giro winner Tom Dumoulin provides added depth though and Wiggins believes this is the toughest opponent Team Sky/Ineos have faced in a decade.

Roglic is one of the favourites for the Tour de France (AFP)

“Yes, I’d say so,” Wiggins declared with Jumbo-Visma hoping to produce just the second non-Team Sky/Ineos winner since 2011. “I think they’re a very complete team.

“A very ‘one nation’ team as well with lots of international riders. They seem to be the biggest and best team to come along in the last 10 years because Sky set the standard and how to do things.

“They’re a team with some really good riders, better overall in every department than Ineos and now starting to become challengers for that spot. They could override them this year.

“They’re a team I like to watch race as well. As much as I like Chris [Froome] and G [Thomas], I like Dumoulin and Roglic, I like watching them race, it gives another reason for the fans to get excited about.

“I think in a lot of quarters there will be a lot of people who would like to see them overturn Ineos and smile from that fact sadly.”

But just as Wiggins struggles to contain his excitement for the emerging force in the sport, a glowing admiration is painted across his face when mentioning Ineos’ brilliant Colombian.

Egan Bernal, Dave Brailsford and Chris Froome at La Route d’Occitanie (Getty)

“Bernal is still the overall favourite for me, he’s a class act,” Wiggins says with conviction. “He certainly wasn’t lucky to win the Tour last year.

“Depending on how Roglic has recovered from his crash in Dauphine, he was clearly on form, the Tour suits him down to the ground.

“If he can stay near Bernal, not lose too much time, I can see him overturning Bernal perhaps in that last time trial.

“But Dumoulin, he’s on a forward trajectory as well, much like Froome was from his crash. I think they’re equal favourites to take that crown. I think that will be the selling point for this race and what will be so exciting to watch over the three weeks.

“There is no clear favourite, maybe Bernal, on respect as a previous winner, but I think it’ll come down to that last time trial.”

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