Tinkoff-Saxo DS Bjarne Riis says that Sky are making a big mistake not taking 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins to this year’s edition of the race.

“Sky can of course do whatever they want, but I strongly feel that it is a huge mistake if they do not have Wiggins,” Riis told Danish television channel TV2.

Wiggins said he would ride for Chris Froome, the defending champion, despite their differences but he recently told the BBC that he would not be on the Tour de France team. Both men have only raced together once, in the 2013 Tour of Oman, and have hardly had any contact outside of training camps.

“First of all, I would like to say that Sky is not my team, fortunately,” said Riis. “There's no doubt that I would have taken a different approach. It's a bit sad to see that it would take the turn and let it go that far. It would certainly not be acceptable on my team."

Riis’ rider Alberto Contador looks in great shape and his recent performances in the Criterium du Dauphine suggest that he is the favourite for the Tour, with Riis suggesting this is the best he has ever seen his star rider.

“I have not seen Contador better with us. Whether he has been better than that, I could not comment on, but while he has been with us, there is no doubt that it is the strongest I've seen him.”