Track king Clancy welcomes Wiggins back with open arms

Team England's Ed Clancy, during the cycling team announcement at The National Cycling Centre, Manchester.

Wiggins is set to miss out on a place in Team Sky’s Tour de France squad and has already turned his attentions to preparing for the track ahead of the Glasgow meet. He was yesterday named in the road team for the Games, but he is also expected to slot into the track team if, and when, his absence from the Tour de France is confirmed.

Wiggins would then ride the track alongside Yorkshire’s Clancy, who he won team pursuit gold with at the Beijing Olympics.

The pursuit quartet won gold without Wiggins four years later in London but a much-changed line-up could only finish eighth at the world championships in Colombia earlier this year.

Clancy was the only man to compete in both races, and he insisted it would not be a problem if Wiggins were to come in at short notice.

“Brad is such a good, natural bike rider,” said Clancy.

“For a lot of people I think it would be difficult but if in two weeks’ time he doesn’t get selected and he decides he wants to ride the track, then I would have no problem at all. He’s done the track for years, he’s won Olympic gold medals on the track, it would be like a duck to water.

“There would be somebody who would lose out and be a little bit upset but the chances are there’ll be other events and opportunities. We’re all big boys, we all appreciate that’s the game.”

Technical director Shane Sutton added: “Brad’s done a bit of track work. Obviously he needs to keep touch on the track because he’s stated clearly his ambition is to link up with the boys and win a gold medal in Rio.”

Otley’s Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead will ride for gold in the women’s road race but she has also been named in the track endurance squad.

Burley-in-Wharfedale’s Scott Thwaites and Keighley’s Tom Moses have been named in the eight-strong road team with Wiggins.

Chris Froome, who turned down the chance to ride in Glasgow, holds a 12-second overall lead after stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine which was won by Katusha’s Yuri Trofimo.