Thursday 14 July 2011

Wiggins Operation Gone Tweetingly


Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins says surgery on the collarbone he broke in the high-speed crash which forced him out of the Tour de France on Friday has gone well.

"Feeling more human this evening and am already planning for end of the season," he said on Twitter on Tuesday.

Britain's three-time Olympic gold medallist now wants to ride the Vuelta a Espana in preparation for September's World Championships road time-trial.

He will miss the Tour of Britain and the British time-trial Championships.

The 31-year-old was forced to abandon his Tour de France after being caught up in a collision 40km from the end of the 218km seventh stage from Le Mans to Chateauroux, won by fellow Briton Mark Cavendish.

On Monday, Wiggins had an operation to have plates inserted to support his collarbone.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Team Sky sports director Sean Yates suggested Wiggins should ride the three-week long Vuelta [the Tour of Spain], which begins in Benidorm on 20 August.

Wiggins would be racing for the rainbow jersey on 21 September at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

"All focus on WorldsTT now as the big one for the end of the season with most likely prep being the Vuelta, which will be a first for me," added Wiggins on social networking website Twitter.

"Only downside being will miss Nat TT and TOB!! But something has to give as hadn't planned on crashing out of TDF."

Prior to Monday's operation, Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford insisted that Wiggins injury was not too serious.

"He shouldn't be off the bike for long," he said.

"It's the most common injury in cycling so in general people know how to rehab from it."

Wiggins was sixth overall, 10 seconds behind race leader Thor Hushovd, when he entered the seventh stage.

He came into this year's tour in fine form, having won the Dauphine Libere in early June before adding the road race title at the British Championships later in the month.

"What was disappointing was that he was in such great shape," added Brailsford. "He was in the form of his life and we really felt that he could go top five or better."

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