'I threatened to walk' - Wiggins on Froome's unexpected attack during 2012 Tour de France

Sir Bradley Wiggins has revealed that he threatened to quit the 2012 Tour de France because of a lack of trust in teammate Chris Froome, who had launched an attack on his team leader, the yellow jersey wearer, on stage 11.

Having moved into the race lead on stage 7, whilst Froome claimed the win to La Planche des Belles Filles, Wiggins extended his lead handsomely over the field after powering to victory in stage 9’s individual time trial. Things couldn't be going much better for Wiggins and the British team.

However, the main incident on stage 11 occurred with four kilometres remaining on the summit to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles, when Froome launched an attack, despite his role as support rider for team leader Wiggins, before eventually waiting for the yellow jersey.

Following the climax of stage 11, Froome had moved himself above the defending champion Cadel Evans, into 2nd place, leaving him as the closest rider in the General Classification to Wiggins. However, Froome’s attack left Wiggins feeling on a cliff edge.

"It was the last thing I ever expected to happen, and it unsettled me massively, to the extent that later, at the team hotel, I threatened to walk," Wiggins said in quotes collected by The Sun. "My mind was clear. F**k it! I don't need this! That might sound mad, but to win the Tour you need to be in control of as much as humanly possible."

"For a threat to come from your own flank is hugely disconcerting. If you can't trust the guys in the same kit, who can you trust?" said Wiggins.

Wiggins admitted that even after he had been reassured by his Sporting Director Sean Yates and Manager Sir Dave Brailsford, the damage had been done, and he could no longer trust his teammate. "From that point on, I never felt able to trust Chris," said Wiggins.

Wiggins would go on to win the 2012 Tour, becoming the first British rider to ever do so, whilst Froome finished 2nd and would go on to win four of the next five editions.

In his book, Wiggins also explained how Brailsford adopted Sir Alex Ferguson’s ruthless management philosophy. The former Manchester United Manager of 26 years, a football icon who won 13 Premier League titles, was known for his brutal but effective style of management. 

Many former “Red Devils” stars found themselves dropped unexpectedly for key matches, including FA Cup and Champions League Finals, such as Jim Leighton, Bryan Robson, and Ji-Sung Park. Meanwhile such as Jaap Stam, David Beckham, and Roy Keane found themselves completely axed from Manchester United at the discretion of the manager, with the latter still the captain when he departed in 2005. 

Wiggins, who never raced the Tour again after his victory and left the team in mid-2015, believes that Brailsford adopted a similar approach after hosting Ferguson following the 2012 success.

"Fergie, he said, leant over. 'The biggest thing in any organisation, any big sports team, is get rid of the c**ts,'" said Wiggins. "Dave seemed to be in awe of that bit of advice. I distinctly remember him repeating it to me."

This approach made Wiggins feel 'disposable' to Brailsford. "I felt I could be rinsed of all use and chucked in the bin with the rest of the rubbish," said Wiggins. “Maybe he thought of me in the same way Fergie thought David Beckham had become bigger than Manchester United, and Roy Keane had become too dominant as the captain.

Despite the bitterness from the 2012 Tour, which also saw Wiggins host a fundraiser and invite his Sky squad, "everyone who had helped me win the Tour, except Chris," the two eventually reconciled at a function after the 2021 Tour, putting the past behind them. "I told him straight, 'Chris, I'm sorry.' I wanted to settle it. The awkwardness had been going on for so long, and it was paining me," said Wiggins.

"More than anything, though, Chris was a genuinely lovely guy, and I hurt him, and I shouldn't have," said Wiggins. "Being Chris's friend again means an incredible amount."