Wiggins: 'I'm not some s**t rider that's come from nowhere'

Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen, Tour de France 2012, stage 10

published 11 July 2012

Bradley Wiggins defended his Tour de France lead today on the mountain stage to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine and then his response to a question about doping cynics.

"I don't feel like I should have to sit here and justify everything I have done to the world," Wiggins said in a press conference today.

Wiggins responded to a journalist who asked about his response to a doping question four days ago when the race finished in Porrentruy, Switzerland. He gave a strong response, coloured with profanity, to those who write in Twitter and other social media outlets to compare his Sky team with Lance Armstrong's former US Postal/Discovery Channel team. Several of Armstrong's former team-mates are linked with doping and the US Anti-Doping Agency charged Armstrong with doping in the last month.

"I understand it from certain parts of the media, but I don't feel like I should have to sit here and justify everything I have done to the world. I'm not some s**t rider who has just came from nowhere. I've been three times Olympic champion on the track. People have to realise what kind of engine you need to win an Olympic gold medal as an individual pursuiter. I've been six times world champion, fourth in the Tour de France, third in the Vuelta last year. It's not like I've just come from nowhere. I've got an incredible pedigree behind me, junior world champion since I was 18 and an incredible rise through the ranks.

"To me, it's them p**sing all over everything I've done, by just saying 'Oh yes, he's cheating' or whatever. That's what really gets to me. Everyone in their individual jobs works hard at what they do. Everyone on this Tour has got a certain job to do and they work hard on it. That's no different to the riders and the position I'm in now. Yes, I'm in the yellow jersey and I'm inspiring maybe kids to take up cycling, this, that and the other.

"But ultimately I've worked hard to be in this position and I deserve every minute of what I've been through this last week or so, especially after sitting at home last year and watching it on the telly. There's one reason why I'm in this position and that's because I've worked hard and I shouldn't have to justify all that other stuff which we spoke about the other day to certain parts of the world.

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Wiggins: 'I'm not some s**t rider that's come from nowhere'

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