Chris Froome insists he expects Bradley Wiggins to try and defend his Tour de France crown next year and believes Team Sky could operate with two lead riders.
Wiggins eyes double
Meanwhile, Wiggins looks to be priming himself for an audacious Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double next year as he looks to further cement his reputation as one of the greatest cyclists of all time.
It appears that both Grand Tours are on his radar for the coming campaign, with the Briton keen to join an exclusive list of just seven riders who have achieved the Italy-France double in the same season.
"I want to try and win the Giro d'Italia and win the Tour de France behind it," he said. "People say it can't be done, winning two Tours. So let's have a go at it."
The double has not been achieved since Marco Pantani in 1998, owing largely to the normally severe difficulty of May's Giro serving to deter riders who are keen to keep themselves fresh for the Tour.
The last man to attempt it was Alberto Contador in 2011, but after finishing first in a brutal Giro, he was fatigued at the Tour and could only finish fifth (both results were later erased due to the Spaniard's doping suspension).
The other riders to have completed the double are Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche and Miguel Indurain.
