Bradley Wiggins (Sky) has abandoned the Tour of Britain, failing to attend the start of stage six in Welshpool on Friday morning. The 2012 Tour de France winner came down with a stomach bug during the night prior to the stage and was unable to continue the race, his team announced.
"I'm sorry to have to pull out of the Tour," Wiggins said on the team's home page. "'ve loved the last six days, meeting so many people around the country and enjoying those crowds along the roads. It's been a great experience, but this bug sadly means I'll now miss the climax this weekend."
Wiggins was placed 41st on general classification. The abandon comes as another blow to Team Sky after world champion Mark Cavendish lost over 11 minutes and the race leader's jersey on Thursday' stage five. Cavendish has, however, taken two stage wins so far for his team on home soil.
Olympic time trial champion Wiggins will now prepare for the World Championships road race on September 23, having decided not to contest the race against the clock.
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
