Wiggins Admits Tour Pressure Got To Him

1:03pm UK, Monday December 27, 2010

Orla Chennaoui, Olympics correspondent

Bradley Wiggins has admitted he was "a bit up my own backside" in 2010 as he dealt with the pressure of being a contender for the Tour de France.

Wiggins finished in fourth position in 2009, and had hoped to go one better to become the first British rider to get on the podium.

But he told Sky News that the weight of expectation meant: "I was a bit up my own backside to be honest, with regards to trying to be a tour contender and how a tour contender should train and be at races.

"That's rubbish to be honest, it's not me.

"I became increasingly miserable as the year went on towards the Tour, and that reflects in other things, like not wanting to talk to the press and things like that."

Wiggins eventually finished the three-week race in 24th place.

Wiggins finished the race in 24th place

"I just wanted to go back to normality as quickly as possible and get away from this person I was trying to be in the whole year, from signing with Team Sky to the Tour de France.

"At that point you just want to take the hat off and go back to being normal for a bit and that couldn't come quick enough once we arrived on the Champs Elysees."

While Wiggins says he was disappointed with his own performance in the Tour, he insists the year was a success for Team Sky.

I became increasingly miserable as the year went on towards the Tour, and that reflects in other things, like not wanting to talk to the press and things like that.

Bradley on how he dealt with the Tour

The squad enjoyed 20 victories in all throughout the season, but Wiggins believes the biggest achievement of all was winning over the fans.

"Right in the middle of all this self pity and wallowing and things like that, aside from that there's the success story of what the team has done. We were 21st overall in the Tour and on the roadside that created this fan base that we had.

"The jerseys, the painting on the road, this crazy guy from Bristol who goes round with all these banners - it was mad, and that's after one year - can you imagine what it's going to be like after three, four, five years?

"It was quite humbling actually that these people didn't really care where you were on the Tour, it was the fact that you were out there trying your hardest.

"That was the success of the team this year for me."