Wiggins became Britain's first Tour winner in season which also included victories at Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie, Criterium du Dauphiné and the individual time trial at the London Olympic Games. The 32-year old is nominated in the Sportsman of the Year category alongside athletics stars Usain Bolt and Mo Farah, Barcelona's prolific goal scorer Lionel Messi, swimmer Michael Phelps having become the most decorated Olympian in history and three-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Also nominated was Australia's Anna Meares, in the category of Comeback of the Year. The nod for Meares comes off the back of her Olympic gold medal performance in the Sprint over great rival Victoria Pendleton. Meares also earned a bronze medal in the Team Sprint with Kaarle McCulloch. Meares' feats were all the more remarkable, four years on from her horrific fall at the Los Angeles World Cup event which left her with a broken neck. Seven months later she returned to claim a silver medal in the Sprint against Pendleton at the Beijing Olympic Games.
The third nomination went to Alex Zanardi who claimed Paralympic gold in the H4 road and time trial events, along with silver the mixed team relay in London. Zanardi, a former CART champion and Formula One driver had both his legs amputated following a crash in 2001. It was the 46-year-old's first Paralympic Games.
A 46-member panel of sporting greats will cast their votes with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in Rio de Janiero on March 11, 2013.
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