Must Read: Wiggins dogged by knee pain, Tour hopes in jeopardy
Sky rider is unable to "train properly" and his Tour de France hopes may be in jeopardy
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Injury may derail Wiggins’ Tour defense — The Guardian
Team Sky officials confirmed Friday that Sir Bradley Wiggins is struggling with a knee problem and may not defend his yellow jersey in the 2013 Tour de France.
Speculation began swirling across Europe on Thursday that the 32-year-old was struggling with training and that his Tour start may be in jeopardy. Sky boss Dave Brailsford confirmed to The Guardian on Friday that Wiggins has inflammation on his left knee, and has been unable to train as expected.
“With these setbacks, I can confirm that Brad cannot currently train properly and we are monitoring the situation carefully,” Brailsford told the paper.
Wiggins exited the Giro d’Italia in stage 13 with a chest cold, but Brailsford said the latest setback has nothing to do with his difficulties during the Italian tour.
Wiggins was expected to race at the Tour de Suisse next month to hone his form ahead of the Tour. Sky has not released its official roster yet, and Wiggins was not included in the lineup for the Critérium du Dauphiné, which begins Sunday in France.
If Wiggins does not start the Tour, it would eliminate a potentially huge internal power struggle between the defending yellow jersey and last year’s runner-up Chris Froome.
Froome has been on a tear this year and is expecting to have full team support for a run at the yellow jersey in July.
If Wiggins does not start the Tour, he could rebound for a shot at the Vuelta a España, which starts in late August in Galicia.