Sir Bradley Wiggins to replace Ian Stannard in Tour of Flanders

The 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins will ride in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday as Team Sky's replacement for Ian Stannard.

Stannard, who broke a vertebra at Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, will also miss the Paris-Roubaix race on 13 April.

The 255km (158-mile) Tour of Flanders is the second of this year's five one-day Monument races and includes 17 short climbs and 17 cobbled sections.

Wiggins will tackle the event for the first time since 2005.

The 33-year-old, who has won seven Olympic medals, will be joined in the eight-man squad by fellow Britons Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe.

Wiggins, who is also expected to participate in the Paris-Roubaix, recently announced he will compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, a week after finishing the Tour de France.

Double Olympic gold medallist Thomas is set to lead the Team Sky challenge at the Flanders and Paris-Roubaix races.

Thomas said: "[The Tour of Flanders] is my favourite race and probably the classic that is suited to me the best.

"I was 10th three years ago and definitely feel I am a lot better now. So, if I can get a bit of luck and ride it well, I have got a good chance."