Commonwealth Games

Wiggins takes swipe at Glasgow organisers

ESPN staff

July 22, 2014

Sir Bradley Wiggins will only be competing in one event at the Commonwealth Games © PA Photos

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Sir Bradley Wiggins claims Sir Chris Hoy has been "done over" by the velodrome branding at the Commonwealth Games.

The venue for the event in Glasgow is named after Scottish cyclist Hoy, who is also Britain's most successful Olympian but for sponsorship reasons it is known as the Emirates Arena.

Wiggins will be riding for England in the team pursuit in the velodrome but has been impressed by the exterior design.

"It is a bit odd," Wiggins said. "I'd be a bit p****d off if I were him [Hoy] because they've stuck a great big Emirates sign over his name and it doesn't stand out that it's the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome other than a little thing as you walk in. It's more like a shopping sign with an Emirates thing on it."

"There should be more made of him. Stick a whopping great statue outside because it doesn't hit you straight away that it's his velodrome. I think he got done over a bit.

"He won't complain because he's far too nice. So I'll complain for him. They should do something about it."

Wiggins has decided to race in only one of a possible four events at the Commonwealth Games but admits the focus has been a "perfect distraction" after missing out on a place at this year's Tour de France.

He has set his sights on winning a fifth Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016in the same track discipline. "The plan was to come in and do pretty much most of the events, [but] with hindsight, I thought just focus on the Olympic event rather than try to be too greedy," Wiggins said.

"All the training's been geared up to the team pursuit and trying to break back into that. It's the only Olympic event really that's available to me now, because the individual pursuit has gone. I thought I'd put all my eggs into the one I'm going to try and do for the next two years."