Tao Geoghegan Hart deserves Tour de France tilt after Giro d’Italia glory, says Bradley Wiggins

Briton Hart won the Giro after beating Maglia Rosa holder Jai Hindley in the final-stage time trial on Sunday

British rider Tao Geoghegan Hart of Ineos Grenadiers team celebrates with the trophy (EPA)

Tao Geoghegan Hart's extraordinary Giro d'Italia win was no fluke and the Ineos Grenadiers rider should be given the chance to challenge for the Tour de France, 2012 Tour winner Bradley Wiggins said.

Briton Hart won the Giro after beating Maglia Rosa holder Jai Hindley in the final-stage time trial on Sunday.

"I hope he kicks on from this and gets the opportunity to do it in the Tour de France and we can talk about him for the next 10 years," Wiggins said on Eurosport.

"He will think he's not worthy of it and doesn't deserve it... He won't change from this.

"He's happy to be submissive and he'll ride for Ineos team mate Geraint Thomas next year and Adam Yates and Egan Bernal but he's a worthy champion and everything this country needs as a role model in sport."

Thomas hailed the 25-year-old's "unbelievable composure" towards the end of the race.

"It's one thing moving up the general classification when there's no pressure on you. It's another thing when everyone is starting to talk about you," he wrote in his column in The Telegraph. "He handled that really well."