Wiggins forced to miss Tour de France

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Sir Bradley Wiggins will not be defending his Tour de France title.

The 33-year-old Olympic gold medallist has a knee problem and has also recently been laid low by a chest infection.

He pulled out of the Giro d’Italia because of the illness and was forced to withdraw from this summer’s Tour after accepting he would not have sufficient time to recover the necessary level of fitness.

Chris Froome will lead Team Sky’s challenge in Wiggins’ absence.

“I desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way – but it’s not going to happen,” said Wiggins, who grew up in Maida Vale.

“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.”

He added: “This team has so many riders in great shape, ready for selection and we set incredible standards for performance which shouldn’t be compromised. We need to have the best chance to win.”

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