Team Wiggins-Le Col to fold at end of season

The Wiggins-Le Col UCI Continental team set up in 2014 by Sir Bradley Wiggins will fold at the end of the season.

The team was launched at the start of 2015, one of its main aims being to support Team GB’s defence of its Olympic team pursuit title at Rio the following year as well as to develop young British talent.

Besides Wiggins himself, who joined ahead of that year’s debut edition of the Tour de Yorkshire after riding his last race for Team Sky shortly beforehand at Paris-Roubaix, the team’s original roster included two of the three riders who would clinch gold alongside him in Brazil – Steven Burke and Owain Doull.

During that debut season, Doull finished third overall at the Tour of Britain where he also clinched the points jersey, while Wiggins rode in the team’s colours at London’s Lea Valley VeloPark when he broke the UCI Hour record.

Besides Doull, currently riding his debut Grand Tour with Team Ineos, other riders to have stepped up from the team to UCI WorldTour level include Deceuninck-Quick Step’s James Knox.

Tom Pidcock, who crashed out of the Tour de l’Avenir last week sustaining a head injury, won Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and the overall title at the Tour d’Alsace while riding for Team Wiggins-Le Col this season.

The team’s final race will be next month’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain.