Gold!
Bradley Wiggins once again reminded everyone — and we should all be past needing the prompts — that once he sets himself a goal, you better get out of his way.
He scorched the World Time trial course and crushed favorite Tony Martin with a time of 56 minutes, 25 seconds, beating the German by 26 seconds and third place Tom Dumoulin by 40.
“I knew coming into it that I had the legs, and once I saw the course I realized that if I was ever going to beat Tony it was on a course like this,” said Wiggins.
That he did.
Wiggins got stronger and faster as he blazed through the 47.1 course, never giving Martin a chance even though the Panzerwagen put his bike in the monster gear with his two monster thighs.
Wiggo was confident that he could deny Martin a fourth Worlds time trial title. “I knew the difference would be made on the final loop, with the very tough climbs after the course already. I paced it perfectly and I still had gas in the final. Even on the last descent, I heard I was 10 seconds up, I was just pushing it all the way. I didn’t want to take any risks.”
Given that Sky teammate Chris Froome pushed him off the roster for both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, Wiggins has delivered impressive performances when he’s had the chance.
He surprised many with his 9th place in Paris-Roubaix, then won the Tour of California before his victory over Martin for the Worlds time trial crown. Froome may have won the Tour of Romandie and taken second in the Vuelta a Espana against a tough Alberto Contador but you could make the argument that Wiggo has done pretty well for himself despite more limited opportunities.
That’s bike racing, as they say. “It’s been an up and down year, I didn’t ride the Tour, so I want to dedicate this to my family because they’ve been there for me all summer and they had to put up with me when I was at home during July. It’s my last world time trial championship and I’ve finished with a gold medal,” said Wiggins.
Chapeau, you charming and prickly bastard.
Leave A Comment