Sir Bradley Wiggins withdraws from British Cycling National Track Championships

Sir Bradley Wiggins has withdrawn from the British Cycling National Track Championships due to illness ©Getty Images

Sir Bradley Wiggins has been forced to withdraw from the British Cycling National Track Championships through illness.

Wiggins was advised not to race at the Championships, which are set to take place at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, on medical grounds having suffered from a cold following this year’s Tour of Britain.

The 2012 Tour de France winner is now set to return to action at the European Track Cycling Championships in Switzerland, which are due to take place from October 14 to 18 at the Velodrome Suisse in the city of Grenchen.

Wiggins, who broke the world hour record in June, has returned to the track with the aim of earning at place in Britain’s team pursuit squad for the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he would hope to secure a fifth Olympic gold medal.

He was part of the British team pursuit squad which earned silver at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and following the completion of his contract with Team Sky, in April, he has predominantly focused on the track, although he has made appearances on the road with his new squad Team Wiggins.

Should Wiggins claim one more Olympic medal at Rio 2016 he would set a British record, having already collected four gold, one silver and two bronze medals in his four appearances at the Games.

Double Olympic champion Laura Trott is one of the British stars set to compete ©Getty Images

An eighth would see him move ahead of former team-mate Sir Chris Hoy as Britain’s most decorated Olympian, with the sprinter having also won seven medals during his career, although six of them have been gold.

While Wiggins will be absent from the British Championships, which are due to take place between September 25 and 27, several Olympic champions are set to be in action including three-time gold medallist Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, who won women’s omnium and team pursuit golds at London 2012.

Shanaze Reade, who competed in BMX at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, is also set to compete at the Championships after she re-joined the British track squad in April.

Additionally Para-cycling events are also due to take place at the Championships with Jody Cundy and Sophie Thornhill among those set to compete as they hone their preparations for next year’s Paralympic Games.