Third place enough for Wiggins to raise sights

Wiggins (Team Sky) won the penultimate stage of the race, the stage 8a 8.8-kilometre time-trial, before Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) once again triumphed on British soil with a sprint victory over Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) on Whitehall.

Dylan van Baarle (Garmin-Sharp) had a 19-second overnight advantage and it proved sufficient to succeed Wiggins as champion, the Dutchman taking the yellow jersey by 10 seconds from Polish runner-up Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).

Wiggins, who won the time-trial in nine minutes 50.71 seconds to move up four places to third overall, was 22secs behind and pleased with a podium place after a route that did not suit his style, with short, sharp climbs late in a number of stages.

“They (race organisers) were touting it as the toughest edition (and) most people say it’s the hardest race they’ve done all year,” said Wiggins.

“I was sort of fit for one thing coming here, with only 34 days’ racing this year, so I feel like to be here now a week on, in third place, just 20-odd seconds off, I’m pretty pleased with that.”

Wiggins, who won the 2013 Tour of Britain title, began the day 47secs behind Van Baarle, but rolled down the start ramp intent on claiming a stage success from his national tour and duly delivered.

The 34-year-old Londoner will ride the six-man team time-trial with Team Sky next Sunday at the Road World Championships, before switching into the Great Britain skinsuit for the individual time-trial.

“There’s a chance I could win it,” added Wiggins, who in 2013 was second to Germany’s Tony Martin, who will again be favourite. “I feel in the form I’m in I’ll be in the ball-park. We’ll see on the day. I thought I’d be closer to him (Martin) last year and he put 42 seconds into me.”

Alberto Contador yesterday won the Vuelta a Espana for a third time.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, who rides for Tinkoff-Saxo, claimed the red jersey he also won in 2008 and 2012 ahead of Chris Froome, with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde third.

Contador, who has two Tour de France titles and one Giro d’Italia crown, won by one minute 11 seconds.