Wiggins: Tour de France win won't change me
Bradley Wiggins will join his heroes tomorrow in Paris. Barring any accident, he will become the first British winner of the Tour de France and cap off a record setting year.
"There are not many Tour winners when you look at the list. In my lifetime, in 32 years, there's probably only been 15 winners of the Tour. It's a very special list to be on," Wiggins said today.
He won the second of two time trials in Chartres and gave himself an extra margin to secure the overall victory tomorrow when the race travels to Paris for its final leg. He will ride in the yellow jersey of overall winner, something a Brit has never done in the past 98 editions.
"Robert Millar, Tom Simpson... I still never see myself up there with them. They were cult heroes and I looked up to them when I was a child," Wiggins continued. "They rarely raced in the UK like we do now, they lived in France, there wasn't the internet and I could only see them in cycling magazines. To be up there with Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and that. And now, barring any accident, I'll be up there."
He paused, looked over the room of about 200 journalists and reflected on his record-setting run. Ahead of the Tour, he became the first cyclist to win Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandy and the Critérium du Dauphiné in one season. And of course, no one has ever topped that off with a Tour win.
"I have respect for the whole racing calendar," he said. He listed the wins and added, "It's quite something, you know."
Wiggins will join the Olympic members to travel from Paris to London Luton airport tomorrow night instead of drink and party as former winners have. The road race and time trial are on his mind. Even with the yellow jersey, the possibility of more gold medals, he said that he would remain the same person cleaning up muck.
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"I'm determined to not let it change me," he said. "I'm not into celebrity life or all that rubbish. So much of British culture is built around people who are famous for doing nothing... I'm still Bradley Wiggins, at the end of the day, I have to go home and clean up dog muck and horse muck. At the end of the day, it's just sport, there will be more Tour winners in the future."
Wiggins refused to reply to the final question in French even when pushed to do so. He did pause and thank the room of journalists for dealing with him for the three weeks and in the races that helped him create a record run.
Tour de France 2012: Latest news
Cavendish recognises advantage in missed Tour chances ahead of Olympics
Orica-GreenEdge still learning in debut Tour
Hoy says a Wiggins win would be greatest ever British sporting achievement
Cavendish adds to impressive Tour de France for Sky
Schleck's Tour B sample also positive for banned substance
Sky's quick exit strategy from the Tour
Wiggins and Froome explain Tour stage 17 final climb debate
Liquigas hopes Tour success could help find sponsor
Froome: Nibali's attacks weren't going anywhere
Wiggins' Tour de France training
Voigt tries to carry on as RadioShack's future seems in doubt
Tour de France 2012: Teams, riders, start list
Tour 2012: Who will win?
Tour de France 2012 start list and withdrawals
Tour de France 2012 team list
Tour de France 2012: Stage reports
Stage 19: Wiggins wins time trial to claim Tour de France
Stage 18: Cavendish wins Tour stage 18 with irresistible sprint
Stage 17: Wiggins step closer to Paris as Valverde wins stage
Stage 16: Voeckler the Pyrenean king as he wins in Bagneres de Luchon
Stage 15: Fedrigo wins, day off for peloton
Stage 14: Sanchez solos to Foix victory to save Rabobank's Tour
Stage 13: Greipel survives climb and crosswinds to win third Tour stage
Stage 12: Millar wins Tour stage nine years from his last
Stage 11: Wiggins strengthens Tour lead as Evans slips back
Stage 10: Voeckler wins and saves his Tour
Stage nine: Wiggins destroys opposition in Besancon TT
Stage eight: Pinot solos to Tour win as Wiggins fights off attacks
Stage seven: Wiggins takes yellow as Froome wins stage
Stage six: Sagan wins third Tour stage
Stage five: Greipel wins again as Cavendish fades
Stage four: Greipel wins stage after Cavendish crashes
Stage three: Sagan runs away with it in Boulogne
Stage two: Cavendish takes 21st Tour stage victory
Stage one: Sagan wins at first attempt
Prologue: Cancellara wins, Wiggins second
Tour de France 2012: Comment, analysis, blogs
Analysis: What we learned at La Planche des Belles Filles
Analysis: How much time could Wiggins gain in Tour's time trials
CW's Tour de France podcasts
Blog: Tour presentation - chasing dreams and autographs
Comment: Cavendish the climber
Tour de France 2012: Photo galleries
Stage 19 by Graham Watson
Stage 18 by Graham Watson
Stage 17 by Graham Watson
Stage 16 by Graham Watson
Stage 15 by Graham Watson
Stage 14 by Graham Watson
Stage 13 by Graham Watson
Stage 12 by Graham Watson
Stage 11 by Graham Watson
Stage 10 by Graham Watson
Stage nine by Graham Watson
Stage eight by Graham Watson
Stage seven by Graham Watson
Stage six by Graham Watson
Stage five by Graham Watson
Stage four by Graham Watson
Stage three by Graham Watson
Stage two by Andy Jones
Stage two by Graham Watson
Stage one by Graham Watson
Prologue photo gallery by Andy Jones
Prologue photo gallery by Roo Rowler
Prologue photo gallery by Graham Watson
Tour de France 2012: Team presentation
Sky and Rabobank Tour de France recce
Tour de France 2012: Live text coverage
Stage 18 live coverage
Stage 17 live coverage
Stage 16 live coverage
Stage 12 live coverage
Stage 11 live coverage
Stage 10 live coverage
Stage nine live coverage
Stage six live coverage
Stage five live coverage
Stage four live coverage
Stage three live coverage
Cycling Weekly's live text coverage schedule
Tour de France 2012: TV schedule
ITV4 live schedule
British Eurosport live schedule
Tour de France 2012: Related links
Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Cavendish
Brief history of the Tour de France
Tour de France 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
1989: The Greatest Tour de France ever
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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
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