Wiggins expected to return to Tour of California

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Tucked in the announcement of the route for the 2016 Tour of California was a comment from the race's 2014 winner Bradley Wiggins, who said he looks forward "to returning to the Amgen Tour of California with Team Wiggins to once again take on the top competitors in the sport".

In 2015, Wiggins shifted his focus from the road to the track in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where he is expected to be on Great Britain's team pursuit squad. He severely curtailed his road career following his final race with Team Sky, Paris-Roubaix, but took part in three high-profile races on home soil, the Tour de Yorkshire, Prudential RideLondon and the Tour of Britain, all with his eponymous Continental squad, Team WIGGINS.

While the official list of invited teams is months away, the announcement indicates that the British team will be among those on the start next May, although Wiggins' actual participation in the race is most likely controlled by the British national coach, Shane Sutton.

Wiggins did not compete on the track in the 2012 Olympics in London, in which he won the individual time trial gold medal. In 2008, Wiggins raced the Tour of California in February and the whole of the Giro d'Italia in May before going on to win gold in the team and individual pursuit in Beijing.

"The Amgen Tour of California brings the perfect combination of stellar competition, amazing scenery and superior organization," Wiggins said, according to the race, before declaring his intention to compete.