Time flies! It's three years to the day since Bradley Wiggins won the Tour
Sir Bradley Wiggins took to Instagram on Wednesday morning to remind us all that on July 22, 2012, he became the first Brit to win the Tour de France.
Wiggins, whose contract at Team Sky ended in April, uploaded a picture of him in his yellow jersey, riding on the Champs-Elysees in Paris - the stage where he famously led out Mark Cavendish for the win.
Team Sky entered the professional peloton in 2010 with ambition to win the Tour with a clean British rider in five years. After a shaky couple of seasons they managed their goal three years early, repeating the feat the following year with Chris Froome.
In 2012, Wiggins took the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara on stage seven and never let it go, beating teammate Froome by 3:21 and 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali by over six minutes.
He won both individual time trials and was second in the prologue in Liege, won by Cancellara. Three other top-10 finishes sealed his win saw him enter the record books as the first ever Brit to win the Tour.
In all 2012 was a great year for Wiggins - a dominant performance in the Tour de France resulted in him being asked to ring the bell in the London Olympic Games opening ceremony.
A couple of days later he added his fourth career Olympic gold medal by winning the time trial around Hampton Court Palace, with one of the iconic shots of the Games coming when he sat on the winner's throne.
>>> The tech behind Bradley Wiggins’s Hour Record success
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
A knighthood was to follow for Wiggins, but he was never to return to the ride the Tour. In 2015 he left Team Sky for his own eponymous Team Wiggins with the ambition to ride on the track at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Watch Bradley Wiggins overtake his minute man at the Hull RC 10-mile time trial
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
Amateur cyclist breaks Strava KOMs on Mortirolo and Stelvio, makes plea for pro contract
'Let's hope some kind of opportunity comes from this,' said Canadian Jack Burke, after taking the Mortirolo crown
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'With a few changes, it'll be class' - Josh Tarling optimistic about Ineos Grenadiers future
'Everybody wants to get better and get back to winning,' 20-year-old tells audience at Rouleur Live
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'With a few changes, it'll be class' - Josh Tarling optimistic about Ineos Grenadiers future
'Everybody wants to get better and get back to winning,' 20-year-old tells audience at Rouleur Live
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'We've had a difficult year, I've had a difficult year' - Tom Pidcock hints at Ineos Grenadiers tension
Speaking at Rouleur Live, the 25-year-old also revealed that he hasn't enjoyed racing at the last two Tours de France
By Adam Becket Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers to partner with German development team for 2025
Ineos set to partner with German Continental squad Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank as an official development partner
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Where next for Ineos Grenadiers, now Steve Cummings has officially left?
After the Director of Racing's exit, the Tom Pidcock saga needs a final resolution before the team can move forward
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos' Director of Racing, Steve Cummings, confirms he is leaving the team after not attending a race since June
Announcement comes after months of uncertainty surrounding Cummings' position
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I never thought I'd really leave the team': Luke Rowe opens up on his reasons for departing Ineos Grenadiers
Welsh road captain is heading to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to become a sports director
By Adam Becket Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers announce 'highly motivated, hungry and ambitious' new performance structure for 2025
New sports directors, lead performance coach and head of performance support announced, among other changes
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I can help get the team back to where it was' - 20-year-old Artem Shmidt looks to the future after Ineos Grenadiers' disappointing season
Shmidt hoping to help revitalise team backed by Jim Ratcliffe after season of woes and as star rider Tom Pidcock gets set to move on
By Tom Thewlis Published