Millar and Wiggins staying put

Both British Cycling and Garmin-Slipstream manager Jonathan Vaughters have refuted a story, released on Wednesday, that had linked Garmin teammates David Millar and Bradley Wiggins to a possible move to new professional road outfit Team Sky.

Reporting on an interview with British Cycling coach Shane Sutton, the BBC had suggested that Millar and Wiggins, along with current Barloworld professionals Geraint Thomas and Steve Cummings, would be part of the Team Sky line-up when the team is launched next season.

British Cycling told Cyclingnews that comments made by Sutton during the interview had been misunderstood. The BBC had quoted Sutton as saying, "All these guys are going to move on to the Sky pro road team, maybe I shouldn't have said that."

“There has been a misunderstanding,” said Iga Kowalska-Owen, a spokesperson for British Cycling. “[Team Sky] are not making any announcements [regarding riders] until later this year. We’re in the process of talking to a few people and there are ongoing discussions with different riders but nothing has been confirmed at this point. We will be announcing names in due course.”

Garmin-Slipstream manager, Jonathan Vaughters, dismissed the report linking Millar and Wiggins to Team Sky as “just silly” and told Cyclingnews that he had spoken with Wiggins on Thursday and the Olympic champion was surprised by the story.

Vaughters said he thought both riders are happy with their position on the Garmin-Slipstream squad, and had no knowledge of any planned move to the Sky team.

Millar owns a stake in the in Garmin-Slipstream squad and Wiggins’ contract with his current team is not due to expire until the end of 2010.