Wiggins tightens his grip on the Tour

5:13pm Monday 9th July 2012 in Bob Hart's cycling blog Photograph of the Author By Bob Hart, Web editor

Wiggins approaches the line in today's time trial. Photo: PA Wiggins approaches the line in today's time trial. Photo: PA

IT’S possible to win the Tour de France without winning a single stage.

But there’s something deeply dissatisfactory about a champion who hasn’t proved they deserve the yellow jersey.

Should he win this year, Lancashire’s Bradley Wiggins will have the satisfaction of knowing he was the best man in the race.

He proved that beyond all doubt as he dominated the field in today’s individual time trial.

Riding in a custom-made yellow skin suit designed to offer supreme aerodynamics, Wiggins took a minute and 43 seconds from main rival Cadel Evans to tighten his grip on the race.

Vincenzo Nibali, now more than two minutes adrift of the race lead, is presumably regretting saying that Wiggo didn’t impress him too much.

But there’s still a lot of racing to come, and anything could happen before the Tour makes it to Paris on July 23.

With the Alps and the Pyrenees ahead there’s still plenty of time for a climber like Nibali to go on the attack, although it’s hard to imagine Team Sky allowing that to happen after the way they have dominated the climbs so far.

But in the Tour anything can happen – it would only take a crash or a puncture to throw the race wide open again.

Remember, Wiggins was one of the main contenders last year when a seemingly innocuous crash left him with a broken collar bone.

Even if Wiggins does lose some time in the mountains – which seems unlikely on his current form – there’s still another long time trial at the end of the Tour which will give him chance to recoup any losses.

Don’t bet against him - Wiggins is looking more and more likely to be the first British winner of the Tour.

  • Tomorrow is the Tour’s first rest day – always frustrating for cycling fans who need their racing fix.

But we’re straight back into the drama on Wednesday, when the riders will tackle a number of high mountain passes, including the 1,501m Col du Grand Colombier.

Fans of sprint finishes will have to wait until Saturday to see Mark Cavendish in action again when roads become flatter.

Comments (1)

8:25am Tue 10 Jul 12

happycyclist says...

You get to wear the yellow on merit alone (although luck sometimes plays a big part!) and not winning a stage doesn't make the winner any less deserving. Wins are satisfying but unnecessary; tactics and strategies play a much bigger part in racing at this level than they used to.

And even if bad luck descends on Wigggins, Team Sky still have Chris Froome, who is looking increasingly like a contender himself.

Enjoying the coverage, LT. Thanks.
You get to wear the yellow on merit alone (although luck sometimes plays a big part!) and not winning a stage doesn't make the winner any less deserving. Wins are satisfying but unnecessary; tactics and strategies play a much bigger part in racing at this level than they used to. And even if bad luck descends on Wigggins, Team Sky still have Chris Froome, who is looking increasingly like a contender himself. Enjoying the coverage, LT. Thanks. happycyclist

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