Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford has confirmed yesterday what was already predicted: Bradley Wiggins will not participate in the season’s ultimate Grand Tour, the Vuelta a Espana, focusing on several one-day races and the Tour of Britain instead. It will be fifth consecutive three-week event omitted by the former Tour de France champion, what apparently confirms his previous declarations about giving up on his ambitions to continue as a Grand Tour contender.

Wiggins last appeared in a three-week event in the 2013 edition of the Giro d’Italia, where he led Team Sky before infamously abandoning the race struck by bad weather, illness and lack of motivation.

Even though the fact that Chris Froome will lead the British squad at the Vuelta might have something to do with an absence of his older countryman, what certainly was a case in regards to this year’s Tour de France, but it might as well be a consequence of Wiggins’ decision to give up on his GC ambitions and turn his focus to track racing again.

Instead of riding the season’s ultimate three-week event, the 34-year old Briton will appear in several one-day races and try to defend his Tour of Britain title, building up his form for World Championships individual time trial.

"He'll ride in a couple of one-day races, then he'll ride the Tour of Britain," Brailsford said, according to bbc.co.uk. "We hope that will give him the right training preparations to go to the World Championships, and try to deliver in the individual time trial again, which he did so brilliantly last year. We hope he'll do the same again this year."

Wiggins participated at the RideLondon last Sunday as his first event following Commonwealth Games, riding in a supporting capacity for Ben Swift, who eventually finished second.