Bradley Wiggins 'amazed' at Tour de France prospects
- Published
Bradley Wiggins has told BBC Sport he never imagined he would be talked about as a possible Tour de France champion.
Four years ago, Wiggins, 32, spoke of the possibility of a Briton winning "about 10 years from now".
But the Team Sky rider, fourth in 2009, believes he could be champion.
"If I put my full energy into it and as much commitment as I did on the track in the Olympics, there's no reason why we couldn't get better than fourth and maybe win," he told Tim Franks.
Three-time Olympic champion Wiggins crashed out on stage seven last year, breaking his collarbone.
But the 32-year-old has enjoyed a hugely successful 2012, winning the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine races.
Speaking from his final pre-Tour training camp in Mallorca on the possibility of a British winner, Wiggins said: "I never imagined it would be me.
"It's just amazing how things change. The year after [I said that] I decided to go on the road and finished fourth in the Tour de France which was a bit of a surprise at the time but it certainly opened up a door of possibility."
Meanwhile, BMC Racing has named the team it feels can help defending champion Cadel Evans retain his title.
The Australian will have the support of Americans George Hincapie and Tejay van Garderen, Briton Steve Cummings and Belgian Classics ace Philippe Gilbert, plus Germany's Marcus Burghardt, Amael Moinard of France, Italian Manuel Quinziato and Swiss rider Michael Schar.
Burghardt, Hincapie, Moinard, Quinziato and Schar all helped Evans, 35, triumph in the 2011 Tour and seven of the eight raced together at the Criterium du Dauphine - where Evans finished third behind Wiggins.
- Published19 June 2012