Tour de France: Hoy says Wiggins win will be best Brit achievement

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Sir Chris Hoy has claimed if Bradley Wiggins wins the Tour de France then it will be the "greatest sporting achievement" by a British athlete.

Wiggins is almost certain to become the first Briton to win the Tour on Sunday.

The 32-year-old leads Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome by two minutes and five seconds with Italian Vincenzo Nibali a further 36 seconds back.

"If he does it, I think this will be the greatest achievement by any British sportsperson ever," Hoy said.

The four-time Olympic gold medallist continued: "That's a big claim, but you cannot overstate how hard it is to win the Tour de France.

"There's a reason why no-one from Britain has ever done it before. I still have to pinch myself. It's just unbelievable."

Mark Cavendish won stage 18 of the Tour on Friday, his second stage win in this year's event, as Wiggins maintained his advantage over Froome and Nibali ahead of Saturday's 53.5km contre la montre to Chartres stage.

Given Wiggins won the previous time trial in this year's Tour by 35 seconds from team-mate Froome, he will be confident of extending his advantage in the penultimate stage.

Olympic team pursuit gold medallist Geraint Thomas was also full of praise for Wiggins and the Welshman thinks the Team Sky rider's performances will be a boost for British cycling.

He said: "It's unbelievable really, the way he's ridden all year, he's been so consistent. He's ridden phenomenally.

"Like he always does he's delivered the goods and it's just been incredible to watch. I rode Paris-Nice with him and [Tour de] Romandie this year and you can see he's a changed bike rider, he has the confidence and belief and when he's like that there's no stopping him.

"It's great for British sport and I think cycling will continue to grow, it's fantastic for cycling."

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209 comments

  • Comment posted by Tom_in_Exeter, at 23:43 20 Jul 2012

    It's an opinion, unprovable, but I suspect Hoy is better qualified to make it than any of those disagreeing with him! Personally, I've been cycling for 60 years, am convinced the Tour is easily the toughest sporting challenge and, therefore, I'm with Hoy. A word about Cav. Easily the greatest road sprinter I've ever seen. It's a joy to see someone so good at what he does. He loves it so!

  • Comment posted by U14966550, at 00:05 21 Jul 2012

    Comment number 10. BlackCavFrankel
    "Great but does not even come close to Joey Dunlop check wiki for a true british legend"

    What kind of vacuous comparison is that? Just because they are both types of bike doesn't mean there's anywhere near the same amount of physical exertion in them. You might as well try comparing Ellen McArthur with John Higgins. Mind-numbing ignorance.

  • Comment posted by DenmarK, at 07:20 21 Jul 2012

    PGB Adick
    You have to understand that - though the TDF is an individual’s race - it is impossible to win without a concerted team effort. The Sky team have trained for years with a strategy (this year) of Wiggins winning the yellow jersey. Froome will get his chance in the future; meanwhile we should celebrate the remarkable prospect of a British 1 and 2 on the podium.
    Vive le Wiggins!

  • Comment posted by U9921015, at 03:58 21 Jul 2012

    I've loved cycling and especially the Tour de France all of my life, and I never believed I'd see a British rider winning it. Seeing Cavendish rise to prominence and dominate the sprints was more than I ever dreamed of, to see Bradley Wiggins parading that yellow jersey down the Champs-Élysées on Sunday is going to be emotional. What an achievement it is, and I hope the country is rightly proud.

  • Comment posted by nffc_1978, at 00:01 21 Jul 2012

    Dominating track cycling is one thing, but British cyclists dominating Le Tour is something I never believed we would see, I mean we haven't even got any proper mountains! There must be a lot that other sports can learn from this remarkable success story.

  • Comment posted by DenmarK, at 16:43 21 Jul 2012

    Yes! Wiggins annihilates the field and silences his critics moaning about him being dragged behind Froome. He is the best; a deserving winner of the yellow jersey. A magnificent athlete and one of Britain’s best.
    Vive le Wiggins.

  • Comment posted by U13734461, at 07:59 21 Jul 2012

    Probably would have been best to have run this story after he had won.

  • Comment posted by solomondogs, at 07:46 21 Jul 2012

    The four minute mile? Redgraves golds? Rugby team world cup followed by a final? Bothams ashes? etc etc the list is long and wide for such a title. I think Mr Hoy has slipped into the fashionable trend of hyperbole. It probably would have sounded less like an excited schoolgirl waiting for Beiber if he had said 'up there' with some of the best sporting achievements, that would ring true.

  • Comment posted by U9415948, at 00:42 21 Jul 2012

    It is impossible to compare things that are not like-for-like such as sporting landmarks in unrelated events and disciplines. It will, however, (hopefully) be a magnificent and historic achievement for Wiggins. Massive respect and congratulations to him.

  • Comment posted by U13369827, at 02:44 21 Jul 2012

    It's a great achievement, last year Aussie went crazy for Cadel Evans winning the TDF, it is an honour not many countries have achieved, enjoy the golden year UK and credit your champion, Wiggins has won fairly and honourably.

  • Comment posted by U15343951, at 23:35 20 Jul 2012

    I find it hard to comprehend it is just mind blowing, the whole concept of what they have been through physically and mentally leaves me with a better out look on life, the team work and shear determination...wow.
    GL Tomorrow, fingers crossed.

  • Comment posted by U8439856, at 23:27 20 Jul 2012

    The first British winner in over 100 years of the Tour de France... acknowledged as the toughest cycle race in the world. Over 2000 miles in 20 days of racing. I think its close to being the BEST sporting achievement by a Britain if not the best.

  • Comment posted by 1L19, at 18:04 21 Jul 2012

    Typical comments from some who can’t just celebrate another’s success, the mind boggles! Wiggins and the team, and many riders on the TDF, are truly awesome athletes. The Tour is a prestigious racing event like no other, it cannot be won by a lone individual rider it is all about team work, tactics and planning. Cycling is a thinking person’s sport, hence some of the dumb comments!

  • Comment posted by DenmarK, at 17:27 21 Jul 2012

    boomtown rat fan. It's OK to accuse a specific individual of using performance enhancing drugs if there is concrete evidence that this is the case. Your comments are generalised and accuse all without evidence, and such comments are defamatory and possibly libellous. As such they are unacceptable.

  • Comment posted by ThoughtCrime, at 12:34 21 Jul 2012

    Regardless of whether it is "the best achievement ever" (which is a matter of opinion rather than fact) it's still a huge achievement. But as Wiggins himself said our culture is based on people being famous for not achieving anything, and he's actually got off his backside and achieved something.

    Go for it Wiggo... take that yellow jersey and wear it with pride.

  • Comment posted by Rob, at 10:32 21 Jul 2012

    Ummm...Steve Redgrave?

  • Comment posted by U14782986, at 09:02 21 Jul 2012

    Hoy said "If he does it, I think this will be the greatest achievement by any British sportsperson ever,"

    Elsewhere BBC have misquote headlines such as 'Wiggins best ever Briton - Hoy'.

    It will be a fantastic British achievement and should not be overshadowed by debate on Hoy's opinion or the BBC misquotes.

    Equally we shouldn't ignore Cavendish's tremendous sprint finishes or the team support.

  • Comment posted by seenitallbefore, at 08:54 21 Jul 2012

    Amazing how ignorant some people are of the tdf - the race is over 2172 miles. Wiggins has had excellent team support like previous riders but he still has to ride 2172 miles, there is no hiding place.
    Not sure about biggest achievement by a brit but there is no doubt it will at least match anything a brit has done.

  • Comment posted by tightheadprop, at 08:01 21 Jul 2012

    Please dont ever compare footballers with any other sportsman. They are overpaid egotistic little girls who kick a bag of wind around. I am not a cycling fan but enjoy watching our guys do well. Can you imagine a footballer getting up every day for 3 weeks and racing for hundreds of miles and teh fact that BW has gone from track to road success makes it even more astounding.

  • Comment posted by Tom_Finneys_Overcoat, at 06:50 21 Jul 2012

    I will be immensely proud to see Bradley wearing the maillot jaune in Paris. By far the most high profile endurance event on the planet I never thought I would see a Brit achieve this. Kudos.

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