Essex rider's praise for Wiggins achievement (From Thurrock Gazette)

Olympic praise for Tour de Francen winner Wiggins

1:00pm Thursday 2nd August 2012 in Sport

OLYMPICS: ALEX Dowsett has rated Bradley Wiggins’ historic Olympic time trial success as probably the finest ride in an already glittering career.

Just weeks after becoming the first British rider to win the coveted yellow jersey at the Tour de France, Wiggins eclipsed the time trial field to pick up his seventh Olympic medal.

Riding at an average of 32mph over the 30-mile course, his gold medal ride saw him finish 42 seconds clear of silver-medal winner Tony Martin, of Germany, and 68 seconds better than his British team-mate Chris Froome.

And Dowsett, who is a Team Sky team-mate of the British legend and just missed out on a place in Team GB’s Olympic line-up himself, rated Wiggins’ ride around Hampton Court Palace as his best yet.

Dowsett, who lives near Maldon, said: “He just keeps going from strength to strength.

“Coming off the back of his win at the Tour de France, he is clearly the best rider in the world at the moment and he carried that through to this race.

“He was up against it as I’d say Tony Martin is a better single-day time trialler, while Brad has the edge in a time trial in a staged event.

“So I think Brad has turned out the best ride he has ever done.

“He did well to keep pace early on as he was down to Tony Martin at the first time check, but that just shows how he rode his own race.

“I think he judged it to perfection.

“Bradley just has a natural talent, but all pro riders need to be backed by a good team and he has had that from Team Sky.

“He has also had to make a hell of a lot of sacrifices and I know he hasn’t seen much of his family this year.

“You’d have to say all of that has paid off, though. ”