Wiggins to race Flanders, Scheldeprijs
The Sky rider has put on weight to better handle the punishment he’ll take on the coblestones
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ZOTTEGEM, Belgium — Bradley Wiggins’ spring classics campaign just got a lot more interesting.
Following a spate of costly crashes in the opening days of the Belgian classics for Sky, including the forced exit of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Ian Stannard with a back injury, Wiggins will now race Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders).
Sky confirmed Wednesday that Wiggins will race Flanders for the first time since 2005 as well as Scheldeprijs.
Wiggins was already slated to race Paris-Roubaix, and has added some extra bulk to handle the pending punishment over the pavé.
The 2012 Tour de France winner has all but given up on hopes of winning another yellow jersey, and has targeted such races as Paris-Roubaix and the Amgen Tour of California as early season goals. Wiggins has raced Roubaix four times, with a career-best 25th in 2009.
Wiggins will give Sky an extra card to play Sunday, behind captains Edvald Boasson Hagen and Geraint Thomas, who punched to third at E3 Harelbeke.
Others confirmed for Sky’s Flanders assault include Bernhard Eisel, Christian Knees, Gabriel Rasch, Salvatore Puccio, and Luke Rowe.