Bradley Wiggins hopes his landmark wins will be remembered
BySportsbeat
Published 22/11/2016 at 20:42 GMT
Cradling a trophy, standing on the top step of a podium, that's how Sir Bradley Wiggins wants to be remembered.
Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish.
Image credit: AFP
And the five-time Olympic champion took another step towards ensuring that will be the case by winning the Ghent Six Day in Belgium, at the weekend.
Dubbed the ‘knight rider' Wiggins had claimed the race, in the town he was born, would be his last.
However, in recent weeks that claim has looked weaker and weaker and the champion, riding with friend and long-time colleague Mark Cavendish, refused to rule out racing on after the fairytale ending in Belgium.
Wiggins and Cavendish took a lap in the dying moments of Sunday's final Madison chase, making the junction with just five laps remaining, to guarantee they would pip home favourites Kenny de Ketele and Moreno de Pauw to the victory – a reverse of the climax at last month's Six Day London.
And although Wiggins assured onlookers it was his last race with Cavendish – with whom he has won two Madison world titles – he refused to confirm Sunday would be the last time he turned the pedals in anger.
"I don't know, I've still got really good legs. This might not be my last race. This for sure is my last ever race with Mark Cavendish, though," said the 36-year-old.
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"But I've got to be realistic, and to be as good as I've been this week I need a full-blown season, probably, or a good full training season.
"I can't just think that I'll get away with riding round Mallorca.
"As much as my heart wants to, my head probably says no. As much as I want to come back next year, I don't want to not win and not be as strong.
"So at some point you have to stop and say that's it, so I think, for sure, this will be my last Ghent Six Day – 18 years since my first and 12 years since my last win here, so it's been a bloody good innings."
Wiggins and Cavendish took the lead on the end of day four in Belgium, holding it going into the final day, and the final race.
But with 30 laps of the 166m track to go in the final Madison, the illustrious Brits were trailing and staring at another agonising defeat, unless they took a lap.
And take a lap they did, creating a moment, akin to Wiggins' time trial gold at London 2012, his Tour de France victory just weeks earlier, and leading out his mate Cavendish for a fourth consecutive win on the Champs Elysees.
Moments Wiggins hopes will endure in people's memories.
"London 2012 was pretty special, I always say that will be hard to beat, the time trial," added the seven-time track World Champion.
"More than anything else in the Tour, the Champs Elysees stage, being able to lead out the British World Champion, in yellow, will stay with me.
"I always think that 50 years from now those images will be iconic and will last in people's memories.
"You can't take people's memories away from them, and I think that's the key with these things, you're giving people happy memories and special times.
"It's what you remember the most about these things, that's what's good about it all."
And while Wiggins is unsure about his own racing future, he wants his Team Wiggins to continue to provide a platform for aspiring British cyclists.
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British cyclist Bradley Wiggins (L) competes in the Madison race on the first day of the London Six Day 2016 cycling event at the Lee Valley VeloPark in east London on October 25, 2016. Bradley Wiggins has been in the spotlight since leaked medical data s
Image credit: AFP
Next year will see Jon Dibben and Owain Doull ride for Team Sky, having both ridden for Team Wiggins in recent seasons, and the veteran wants to conveyor belt of talent to continue.
"I've got a team and that's about inspiring young lads. I've got some really good young guys too," he added.
"I really want to try and help those guys and develop the guys who are going to win here in the next few years."
But Wiggins does not think much will top his most recent win in Ghent, on a track where he used to watch his father Gary ride, as a baby.
"I can't help but think about my career now," concluded the Rio 2016 team pursuit champion.
"The last 18 months have been a bit of a testimonial, every race has been my last one – my last one for Team Sky, my last Paris Roubaix, my last shot at The Hour, my last Olympic cycle, the last Olympic Games, last Six Days, it's just been a bit on and on.
"But my mum doesn't watch me race a lot, but she came out to Ghent so that is special for me."
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