Bradley Wiggins made it absolutely clear on several occasions, that he intends to fully focus on track programme towards 2016 Olympic Games after reaching his objectives for 2014 season, of which the most important would be participation in the 101st edition of the Tour de France. However, several WorldTour squads, including Orica-GreenEDGE, still expressed their interest in signing the Briton as his current contract with Team Sky expires by the end of this year.
Asked about his future in road cycling, Wiggins was reluctant to reveal his exact plans for upcoming seasons, but also insisted that staying within the ranks of Team Sky would be his first choice. However, the former Tour de France champion eventually have found both good form and motivation to perform on the level he once used to this spring, and while Chris Froome’s position in the British squad appears to be unshakable, the 34-year old Briton may be interested in considering different options and re-thinking his goals for the nearest future.
The Australian WorldTour squad, with only two completed seasons under their belt, so far didn’t manage to have significant impact on the decisive part of three-week events. However, with increasing ambitions and an impressive group of young riders groomed into future GC contenders, Orica became interested in acquiring grand tour rider for the 2015 season, with Wiggins considered to be a perfect match.
“Our team is ready to have a grand tour rider next year,” said Orica-GreenEDGE manager, Matt White. “If Bradley was to come we would have to have the money to buy him. He is not going to come for 'free'."
“I would love to work with ‘Wiggo,'" team manager Matt White told the Sydney Morning Herald. He continued by saying that Wiggins “is definitely a rider who would fit into this group.”
“When you look at the likes of Esteban Chaves, Simon and Adam Yates, [Luke] Durbridge and [Michael] Hepburn," explained White. "If we can keep that group for the next two years we will have one hell of a Tour de France team in two to three years.”
Without having serious grand tour contender in their ranks, Australian squad still managed to win stages in all three-week events and dominated the opening week of the current Giro d’Italia edition, winning three stages and holding maglia rosa for seven days with Svein Tuft and Michael Matthews.
It comes as no surprise, that with very promising youngsters in likes of Esteban Chaves, Yates brothers or Michael Hepburn White aims to continue building strong unit for grand tour races, and while looking for an experienced GC rider is able to adjust to Wiggins’ plans in regards to 2016 Olympic Games.
"Obviously, 2016 would be a write off for the Tour, but he is a guy who could definitely fit in," said White. "His ambitions at Sky are certainly different to a year ago.”
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