STAGE 13

      There were no farewells, no hugs nor handshakes. Bradley just didn’t get on the bus. Ryder Hesjedal did not sign on at the start, either. Vincenzo Nibali declared that Cadel Evans was now his main rival as the two winners of 2012 Grand Tours, the Briton and the Canadian who had been pitted against each other as intense Giro rivals, beat a desolate retreat to the airport.

      ‘It was a big letdown. I felt that for him,’ said Danny Pate, who moved his seat from the back of the team bus to take over Wiggins’s front berth. ‘I’d seen all the work he’d done. That guy, I’ve never seen so much focus. He kind of redefined the word “focus” for me. He had trained so much. His diet was so regimented. It was mind boggling. So it seemed cruel that some stupid little sickness took him away. He’d fought it so hard. He’d had the one bad day on the road and that night, oh, he looked so sick at dinner he could hardly speak . . . I assumed he wouldn’t be starting the next day. It was no surprise to me.’

      The swap to Rigoberto Urán as leader was not unprecedented. The Colombian had assumed leadership status on Stage 8 of the 2011 Tour de France when Wiggins fell and broke his collarbone. ‘I took over as leader and was having a good Tour, wearing the white young rider’s jersey from Stage 14. Five days later I lost it after picking up an illness,’ recalled Urán. ‘Two years later I was also in a good position here, riding as leader now . . . and I was hoping I wasn’t going to have the same disappointment.’

      ‘In 2010, Bradley’s exit happened quickly,’ said Dave Brailsford. ‘One minute everything was going to plan; the next minute he was underneath a pile of bikes and riders, game over. This time it crept up. First his chest infection and knee problem were issues to manage, then they started raising questions; then they worsened. It was a gradual realisation that his physical condition had developed into a race-ending situation. As always in sport, you try to be compassionate, but the race doesn’t stop. Swiftly you have to move to Plan B. From the start at Team Sky we tried to develop a mind-set based on the premise that goalposts will move and life’s not fair, so let’s get on with it. We’ve trained ourselves not to dwell on things. It can seem ruthless from the outside, but we recognise what needs to be done.’

      Dan Hunt vouched for a seamless transition. ‘It was business as usual, with a different leader. Rigo was right up there on the GC and took all his energy into his new role. He’s a great guy, fun, full of energy, always talking, full of beans, always with a million and one things going on. He moves around the peloton really well and is tough and gutsy. He really dogs it out – he’s a fantastic bike rider and a super guy to have around. The guys loved racing for him.’

      ‘It was a big disappointment that Brad left, but we still had Rigo,’ continued Pate. ‘He’s relaxed, he comes race-ready. He’s completely the opposite personality. He’s super-funny, a little chatterbox, where Brad can be subdued and quiet. I think the feeling of the whole team was that it wasn’t a bummer because Rigo was in contention and Brad’s sickness was something out of our control. It was bad luck. The leader switch didn’t bother me. Personally, when I like someone, it’s far easier doing dangerous things on a bike and taking risks on their behalf. It goes beyond pay cheques – and Rigo is super-likeable.’

      And so the Team Sky operation moved on, maintaining position on another sprint day won by Cavendish, and attracting a new following. ‘We picked up a whole new fan club. There’d be 40 or 50 Colombian fans and journalists outside the bus,’ said Hunt. ‘And a lot of new banter after the Gazzetta dello Sport christened Urán “Mick Jagger”, which he pretended he didn’t get.’

      ‘Oh, he got it!’ laughed Pate. ‘I just don’t know if he liked it that much!’

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