December 10 - Triple Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins has joined Team Sky on a four-year contract, team principal Dave Brailsford announced today, bringing an end to the long-running football-style transfer saga.

The 29-year-old Briton, who finished fourth in the Tour de France this year, joins from United States team Garmin-Transitions becoming the 25th member of the newly formed team.

Wiggins, who won Olympic gold in Athens 2004 on the track before taking double gold at last year's Beijing Olympics, had voiced an interest in joining Team Sky since their formation in February.

The Londoner said: "It was always a difficult situation trying to leave Garmin because I had a lot of friends there.

"There was only one team I was going to come home for and that was Sky and Dave Brailsford who helped me to my Olympic success.

"We want to be the best we can possibly be for whatever the goal is and next year that's the Tour de France.

"This team wants to be the biggest and best and most admired in the world, and to be there from the start is something special.

"It's a bit of a strange day, it has been going on for a long while since I finished fourth in the Tour de France.

Brailsford said: "Brad will be at home in Team Sky.

"It is the perfect fit and he will be a marquee rider for us."
 

The team, whose aim is to produce a British winner of the Tour de France within five years, are led by British cycling's performance director Brailsford, the man behind their unprecedented cycling success in Beijing.

He said: "Brad was a real revelation at this year's Tour de France, has been hugely successful for British Cycling and his Olympic success has brought wide recognition.

"His presence will help us not only on the road but with the wider aims of inspiring people to not only follow the team but to get out and ride."


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September 2009: Wiggins at centre of tug-of-war between Team Sky and Garmin