Wiggins back home and in the saddle to focus on Olympics

The 32-year-old was back home in Lancashire with his wife Cath following his victory in the gruelling 20 stage, 2,173-mile race.

Wearing sunglasses and a black T-shirt, Wiggins drove off in a Mercedes people carrier without speaking to journalists outside his home in Eccleston, near Chorley.

Amid calls for him to be awarded a knighthood – bookmaker Coral is offering 2/1 that he is Sir Bradley before the end of next year – the country’s new favourite cyclist will not be sliding out of the saddle and into the armchair just yet.

Wiggins is already preparing for the Olympic road race taking place on Saturday.

David Cameron said: “I’m like everyone in the country – absolutely delighted. Bradley Wiggins has scaled one of the great heights of British sporting achievement, to be the first person in 109 years to win the Tour de France is an immense feat of physical and mental ability and aptitude and I think the whole country wants to say well done, brilliant – the perfect backdrop and start to the Olympics.”

Wiggins made history when he crossed the finish line in Paris, telling reporters: “Job done”. He is already one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen with six Olympic medals, three of them gold.

The final stage was the 13th consecutive day that he had worn the race leader’s yellow jersey.

His Team Sky colleague Chris Froome followed minutes later to become only the second Briton to take the podium in the history of the event.