Tuesday 29 December 2015 16:04, UK
Sir Bradley Wiggins says he is enjoying racing on the track so much that he regrets announcing he will retire at the end of 2016.
The 35-year-old returned to track cycling full-time from the road in August to prepare for his bid to win team pursuit gold at the Olympic Games in Rio next summer.
He will then look to make appearances at the Tour of Britain in September and the London and Ghent six-day meetings in October and November, before ending his professional career in December.
In an interview with Sky Sports News HQ, Wiggins said: "I'm hoping to race until Christmas and see the year out, just because I have enjoyed the track so much in the last couple of months that I don't want to stop. I wish I hadn't said I'm going to retire.
"The changing of the goals helps keep the motivation fresh. Had I been training to win the Tour de France for 15 years, going out five, six, seven hours a day on the road, I would have retired years ago. But because I keep changing the event, it's almost like starting over again."
Wiggins is keen to remain in cycling after retirement and help young British riders into the professional ranks through his eponymous team, WIGGINS, which he was involved in setting up early this year.
However, Wiggins has no intention of becoming a team manager in the mould of Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford and instead intends to act in more of coaching and mentoring capacity.
He added: "It's about that kind of grassroots level for me, which is what the team [WIGGINS] is about.
"I'm not brave enough [to manage a team]. I never really see myself as in that kind of role in that sense. I couldn't do it. I'd much rather be in the field, on the ground, with the riders. Perhaps we don't use people like that enough, with that kind of experience."
Wiggins began his professional career at a time when cycling - predominantly on the road - was in the depths of an era now defined by doping.
However, with Lance Armstrong and other cheats having been exposed and a new regime in place at the world governing body, Wiggins insists he will end his career with cycling in far greater health.
He said: "I think it's in a better place than it has ever been. You have got Team Sky leading the way on a professional front. They are quite open and have done everything possible on an anti-doping level.
"Other than that, the sport, compared to 10 years ago, is worlds apart. It has changed dramatically. We don't have the culture now, we don't have the team involvement [in doping] any more.
"People always push the boundaries, especially when the rewards are so high financially. The systems are in place now to catch them; I think that's the difference now."
