Wiggins to Sky for 2010, Talking Tough for Tour, But Can the Brit Back It Up?

Any serious follower of cycling has already learned about Brad Wiggins signing with the newly created Team Sky. No doubt most fans also have already poured over his comments regarding his chances for 2010 at the Tour de France. Not only did he openly bad mouth the Garmin team, but he claimed to be a superior rider to Lance Armstrong and others. He stopped short of claiming he is on the same plain as Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, but clearly the Brit thinks highly of his chances for improving on his fourth overall placing in last year's Tour. His recent comments and actions have rubbed many the wrong way.

Brad Wiggins has always been a bit of a blow hard. He has never been shy in stating his mind, and he seems to show little regard for how others view him. In addition to hitting out against his competitors and his now former team, Wiggins even took a shot at America, claiming that he never particularly enjoyed riding there.

Now at Sky, in the prime of his career and riding an unprecedented wave of personal success on the road, Wiggins is projecting an aura of invincibility. He seems to believe that he is in a class all his own, and he seems keen to prove that fact in 2010. Whether he'll be able to live up to his own lofty appraisal of his talent is another matter though.

2010 will see an influx of powerful teams (Sky, Radioshack) as well as big competition among non-Pro Tour teams to gain invites to the Tour de France. Team Sky is certainly strong enough to be invited, but they are not yet a part of the 2010 Tour. If (and likely when) they receive an invite, they will join a strong lineup of teams, but by no means will they be the strongest. Wiggins implied recently that riding with Garmin put him at a disadvantage and that he felt a move to Sky was necessary if he was to win the Tour someday.

To be fair though, it should be noted that the team that Garmin fielded for last year's Tour was a very strong one, more than capable of supporting a GC rider's overall hopes. In fact, with Wiggins now gone, it would not be overly surprising to see Christian Vande Velde go top five in this coming year's Tour. Further, Wiggins was unproven until this past year in grand tours. That the Garmin team were willing to help him develop was admirable. It would be thought that Wiggins would have had the integrity to fulfill the final year of his contract with the team.

Brad Wiggins clearly is a strong contender for the 2010 Tour. He has found his climbing legs in the high mountains while maintaining his prowess as a top time trialist. But arriving at the Tour as a favorite instead of an under dog is a much different experience. Finishing in the top five overall in 2010 will mean that Wiggins came into the Tour in top form, handled the pressure from the world media leading up to the world's biggest bike race, and adeptly led his team as the undisputed captain for the duration of the three week event. Clearly, Wiggin's 2010 Tour experience will be far different from his 2009 foray, where all he had to do was ride his bike.