Bradley Wiggins says that if he were to win his final race with Team Sky at Paris-Roubaix this Sunday it would rank among his personal achievements than his Tour de France victory. Wiggins is due to draw a close to his road career this week as he switches his focus to the track ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Rio and will ride Roubaix as his final send-off.
"It would be bigger in my eyes at the moment. That's not to say that the Tour wasn't huge because it was. I think it would be more enjoyable because it's only one day and it's over in six hours," Wiggins said. "It was always a fairy tale Roubaix, and you finish and because you had a good race you forget how hard it was.
"I idolised some of my heroes as a kid who rode these races. Despite what might have come out in the last few years, with honesty groups and whatever, just the pure passion, regardless of what people were doing or not doing, just that pure passion for the sport. I wouldn't be here without it."
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Riding Paris-Roubaix was deemed much too risky when preparing for a tilt at the Tour de France and he was only able to return to the race last year, for the first time in three seasons. He survived the selection and came through the cobbles in the main group of contenders before going onto finish ninth. With more specific preparation for the event, Wiggins has been put among the favourites for victory on Sunday. However, Wiggins is aware that finding that perfect send-off is far easier said than done.
"Everyone says, 'oh you can win Roubaix and have this fairy tale ending' but it's not as easy as that and I'd give anything to be in the same position, the Carrefore de l'Arbe again like I was last year and that would be enough for me to be honest. I mean I'd love to win, I'm not here saying that I'd accept ninth place but to have a clean run through the race, to have no crashes.
"To come onto that Velodrome with all my peers, I'm getting too nostalgic but that's a huge part of it."
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