The treble Olympic gold medallist, who finished fourth in this year's Tour just seven seconds behind seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, is the top of the wish list for new British multi-million pound squad Team Sky.

Wiggins has a year left on his contract with Garmin and the American outfit run by former professional Jonathan Vaughters wants him to honour it, claiming that the rider is worth $15 million (£9 million) if he were available for transfer.
 

Wiggins has himself used football analogy to summarise his thoughts on the issue.

He said: "It's a bit like trying to win the Champions League and to win the Champions League you go to Manchester United and I'm probably playing at Wigan at the moment.

"I'll probably have to make that step to do it.

"I've had a good time this year at Garmin but times have changed.

"I don't know, the Tour changed everything for me really so we'll see what happens."
 

Wiggins had hoped to finish on the podium of the men's time trial at the World Road Race Championships yesterday but was never really a challenger and fell even further out of contention when suffering a mechanical problem.
 

He crossed the finish in 21st place, nearly five minutes behind Swiss star Fabian Cancellara.

Team Sky was formed earlier this year thanks to an estimated £40 million of backing, over a three-year period, from BSkyB, with other companies being sought as co-sponsor.
 

Run by Dave Brailsford, the man who spearheaded Britain's rise to global dominance in track cycling leading to seven of the ten gold medals on offer at the Beijing Olympics, the team's objective is to produce a first British Tour de France winner within five years.
 

Wiggins, after this year's performance, would be the perfect candidate, although he hinted that British cycling were keen for him to defend his track pursuit titles at the London Olympics in 2012.

He said: "I think I'll always be back there in London defending my titles in the pursuit."

Brailsford said: "Key British riders may be under contract and we have to respect that."
 

Among the riders to have already signed for the team, to be coached by Australian Scott Sunderland, are Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen, Australian Simon Gerrans, Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha and Sweden's Thomas Lövkvist.
 

British hopes Steve Cummings, Russell Downing, Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas have also joined.


Related stories
September 2009: Wiggins at centre of tug-of-war between Team Sky and Garmin
July 2009: Wiggins dashes hopes of joining British road race team
June 2009: Brailsford claims misunderstanding over British team
May 2009: BSkyB to pour millions into British Tour de France team
October 2008: British Cycling launch new Sky team