Sutton orders Wiggins to 'back off' and support Froome's Tour de France bid

Britain's top cycling coach Shane Sutton has told his ‘surrogate son’ Sir Bradley Wiggins to ‘back off’ and support Team Sky colleague Chris Froome’s bid to win the Tour de France.

Sutton, a no-nonsense Australian, is the head coach of British Cycling and regarded as a father figure to Wiggins, helping him become the first Briton to win the Tour.

But he says Wiggins, 33, should forget about retaining his title and obey team orders, which are that Froome is the main man to go for glory this summer.

Back off: Sir Bradley Wiggins must help Chris Froome (below) to win the Tour de France

Sutton said: ‘I think that, at this moment in time, you base it on the evidence before you and Froome will be the nominated rider. Bradley will just have to settle for a support role. Froome has won continually this year. I think just about every race he has ridden he has won. Brad hasn’t had a win since last August so I think the team will very much be getting behind Chris, as Chris did with Brad last year.’