Time trial will be big focus in 2012 Games, season debut confirmed for Volta ao Algarve
Sky Procycling’s race coach Rod Ellingworth has said that Bradley Wiggins will pass up the chance to defend his two track medals from the Beijing Olympics, and will instead only target the road events in the London 2012 Games.
Wiggins previously stated that he hadn’t yet decided what he would do, telling the BBC in September that he felt there was a chance of taking a medal in the London time trial, and also winning gold in the team pursuit. However the decision now appears to have been made to have a complete road focus in 2012.
“As it stands at the minute, he won’t do the track races in London,” Ellingworth told VeloNation today. “He will concentrate on the road. The Olympics will be about the time trial and the road race…I think the time trial will be one of his main focuses of the year.”
Ellingworth said that there was a chance that he could do the track worlds, but that he would definitely miss the London round of the World Cup in February. Instead, Wiggins will begin his season in Portugal. “The Volta ao Algarve is definitely going to be Brad’s start…that’s how it stands at the minute, and it will be the case unless there are any problems in the winter,” he explained.
Initial race programme laid out:
After Algarve, Paris-Nice will be his next competitive event. He finished second in the time trial and third overall in the 2011 edition, although it seems that he might deliberately not be at the same level there next season. “He is going there to race, as was the case last year,” said Ellingworth, “but it won’t be quite as big a target as it was.
“As a team, we set that one as quite a big objective [in 2011], but next year we are setting Catalunya and Romandie as two big targets to achieve before the Tour. He will also do Dauphiné again, that will definitely be the plan.”
Following that race, Wiggins will aim for the podium in the Tour de France. He finished an unexpected fourth in 2009 and seemed in very good condition last July when he went there on the back of winning the Critérium du Dauphiné. Hopes of a top three finish were dashed when he crashed out with a broken collarbone, but he bounced back to win a stage and take third overall in the Vuelta a España.
He followed that up with second in the world time trial championships and played a huge part in helping keep the peloton together and thus assisting Mark Cavendish to win the world road race championships.
Building towards next season:
Ellingworth said that his 2012 preparations have gone well thus far, with Wiggins striking the right balance between rest and knuckling back down to training.
“He is more than happy with how things are…he has had a good winter,” he explained. “I think it was a big boost to him in finishing the year as he did, getting good results at the road worlds. Obviously he got his own personal result [in the time trial], but then also being part of that road worlds team was a massive boost to him. It is just nice to finish off the year in a good way. He finished at the absolute top of his game.”
Mentally psyched after those strong performances in the Vuelta and worlds, he also stands to benefit physically. “His end of season should help next year. When you have done the Vuelta, you finish the season with good legs if you get through it well,” he said.
“Riders notice it when they get back on the bikes in the winter. Bradley didn’t take much time off…he has been at home the majority of this time, but he has been doing some good work. Really good…”