Bradley Wiggins aiming for Tour of California

Bradley Wiggins is aiming to hit a peak of form for this year's Tour of California, and has singled out the American stage race as his first priority of the season.

Talking to Sky Sports, the Team Sky 2012 Tour de France champion said: "I want to perform well in the early season. I've got some good goals early season, building up to the Tour of California in May. Which is something I really want to do, to try and start performing well out there in America."

Wiggins will ride alongside Chris Froome in Milan-San Remo on March 23, and has said that he wants to ride in the 2014 Tour de France when it starts in Yorkshire on July 5 in whatever role Team Sky ask of him.

"I want to be back at the Tour de France, to be back on the team in whatever capacity, to be alongside the defending champion in Chris," said Wiggins.

"Having two British winners at the Tour de France starting in the UK is going to be quite an experience for us all."

After his standout season in 2012, which saw him take a string of high-profile race wins along with the Tour win and Olympic gold in the time trial, Wiggins suffered in 2013. He rode the Giro d'Italia, but withdrew from the race after crashing and suffering from a chest infection. Wiggins subsequently also missed the Tour de France due to a knee injury.

He came back in the latter part of the season to win the Tour of Britain in September and claim a silver medal in the World Championships time trial.

The 2014 Tour of California runs from May 11 to May 18.