Despite making several decisions in most recent time suggesting otherwise, Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford insisted that a complete athlete like Bradley Wiggins will be difficult to replace after he leaves their ranks by the end of April 2015. He also admitted that winning another Olympic gold medal in Rio would be a beautiful ending of his remarkable career in cycling.

"As soon as you think about trying to replace someone like Bradley, you back yourself into a corner," Brailsford told Sky Sports. "His contribution to this team has been phenomenal, absolutely remarkable."

"We set out to win the Tour with a clean, British rider and that's what he did. He's an incredible athlete, he's one of the most versatile athletes the sport has ever seen - he can ride on the track, win time trials, win mountain stages."

"That's why we all believe he can be a great athlete even as he comes to the end of his career."

Wiggins is set to attemp breaking the Hour Record in June, as one of his first appearances in new, track-oriented Continental outfit. Several decent time trialists and track riders emphasized their will to try themselves in similar test earlier this season, but the 34-year old Briton in considered as the one who should set the bar incredibly high.

Before he will give it a try, though, he will end his short but passionate romance with Paris-Roubaix, certainly with ambitions to take a victory in the Hell of the North. Such achievement would mark Wiggins as one of the most versatile cyclist of past decades, capable of winning on the track and cobbles, in the individual time trials and general classifications of Grand Tour events.

"If he can win the Paris-Roubaix he'll have one of the most awesome records any rider in this sport has ever had," Brailsford said. "He wants to the do the hour record and then finish up at the track in the Olympics.

"If he could finish his story where he started out with a medal round his neck in Rio, that would be one hell of an ending.

"And knowing Bradley he'll want to find the next Bradley as well."He was given an opportunity and he'll want to give someone else that opportunity, which is a great thing."