Sir Bradley Wiggins has been denied the chance to defend his yellow jersey after being ruled out of the 2013 Tour de France due to a knee injury.
The 33-year-old enjoyed a 2012 to remember when he not only claimed time trial gold at the London Olympics but also became the first Briton to win the Tour de France.
However this year has not been such plain sailing as the Team Sky rider withdrew from the Giro d’Italia on May 18 due to a chest infection, heading home to rest his ongoing knee problem.
This has hampered his preparation for the Criterium du Dauphine or Tour de Suisse which means he doesn’t feel he will be firing on all cylinders when the Tour de France comes along.
“It’s a huge disappointment not to make the Tour,” Wiggins said. “I desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way – but it’s not going to happen.
“I can’t train the way I need to train and I’m not going to be ready. Once you accept that, it’s almost a relief not having to worry about the injury and the race against time.
“I’ve been through this before, when I broke my collarbone, so I know how it works. I’ll get this sorted, set new goals for this season and focus on those.”
© Sportsbeat 2013