Bradley Wiggins basked in glory, and a bit of sun, as Britain’s most decorated Olympian after he hammered the field in awe-inspiring fashion to claim the London Games cycling time trial on Wednesday.
Wiggins, the first British Tour de France champion, surpassed rower Steve Redgrave’s record of six Olympic medals by snatching his seventh on home soil amid scenes of joy around Hampton Court Palace.
His Tour victory just 10 days ago had already given a massive boost to his popularity in Britain. The man with the distinctive long dark sideburns was chosen to ring the bell at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony last Friday.
Photo: EPA
Winning an Olympic gold medal, his fourth, in London will likely add to Wiggomania.
“It’s never going to be better. There was a slight melancholy on the podium. Nothing will top that now,” he told reporters. “I’m certainly going to get a bit drunk tonight. I think I’ve earned it.”
Asked if he would compete in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the 32-year-old added: “Yes, but not in this event. I couldn’t endure four more years of this training. I could envisage going back to track pursuit, but we’ll see.”
Photo: EPA
Wiggins, who already had six track cycling medals, made a cautious start on the 44km course starting and ending at Hampton Court Palace, before powering home with an average speed of more than 52kph.
World champion Tony Martin of Germany took silver, a gaping 42 seconds behind, with Briton Chris Froome claiming bronze, 68 seconds off the pace.
“This year Bradley was unbeatable,” said Martin, who has suffered a series of crashes and injuries this season. “For me today it is like a gold medal. I was really happy to be here healthy.”
Photo: AFP
A few hours after Helen Glover and Heather Stanning claimed Britain’s first gold in the rowing pairs, Wiggins was in a class of his own, his perfect position on the bike unmatched by his rivals.
The powerful Martin was five seconds ahead of Wiggins at the first time check after 7.3km, with Fabian Cancellara one second further behind in a close race, with the top five riders within 10 seconds.
Luis Leon Sanchez’s hopes of a podium finish vanished after just a few seconds when the Spaniard had to change bikes following a chain snap on the start ramp.
By the second time check, after 18.4km, Wiggins was 11 seconds up on Martin and 23 on Froome, after defending champion Cancellara of Switzerland had cracked following a strong start.
Cancellara suffered a bruised shoulder in the road race on Saturday and had pondered his participation until the last moment. After crossing the line fifth, he sat for a long time holding his right shoulder, his face a mask of pain.
The course snaked through suburbia, past the famous horse race track at Sandown Park, close to the rugby stadium at Twickenham and even near Chelsea Football Club’s training ground.
After crossing the line and walking toward the throne installed to welcome the race leaders, Wiggins got back on the bike, cycling on the course again, his arms raised in celebration.
He was quickly surrounded by dozens of fans, before riding his way back toward the Palace, where he was awaited by his wife and two children.
Born in Belgium, Wiggins picked up his first Olympic medals in Sydney in 2000, where he took bronze in the Madison and team pursuit.
Wednesday’s gold made him the first rider to win the Olympic time trial in the same year as the Tour. He also captured the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Dauphine stage races, making him the most versatile rider in cycling.
Earlier, Kristin Armstrong capped her return to cycling following the birth of her baby by successfully defending the women’s time trial crown.
The American, who returned to cycling after the birth of her baby nearly two years ago in a deliberate bid to defend her crown, then announced she had taken part in her final competitive race.
“I am now officially retired,” said the 38-year-old Armstrong, who won by a convincing 16 seconds from world time trial champion Judith Arndt of Germany.
Armstrong clocked a winning time of 37 minutes, 34 seconds for the 29km race.
Arndt took the silver in 37:50, while Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya, already the winner of a road race bronze on Sunday, took her second medal of the Games in a time of 37:57.
Danish-born New Zealander Linda Villumsen finished just two seconds off the bronze medal in fourth, with Canadian Clara Hughes in fifth.
Armstrong, no relation to seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, fought back the tears on the podium as she received her gold medal and then cradled her son in her arms.
Despite giving birth less than two years ago and virtually retiring from cycling, she said the lure of another Olympic gold was just too strong.
However, she said it was definitely her final race.
“When I came back, everyone asked me why in the world would I come back, and the reason I came back was because the feeling I got in Beijing, nothing could top that, but I couldn’t imagine being on the top step of the podium with my son, Lucas, in my arms,”Armstrong said.
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