Bradley Wiggins has revealed that he is eager to win the Giro d'Italia before he calls time on his cycling career.
The 32-year-old made the headlines during the summer by becoming the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, before going on to claim a gold medal at the London Olympics in the time-trial event.
That success had led to some pundits questioning whether or not Wiggins would have the hunger to continue competing.
However, the London-born rider has insisted that he has already begun training ahead of attempting to reach the next goals that he has set himself.
"I've already started training for next year because it is about doing it all over again," he said. "I think initially you think there is nothing else to do. In a sporting sense I'm 32 now and I went from the Champs-Elysees in Paris and winning the Tour de France to winning the Olympic time-trial in London. That is never going to happen to anyone again, perhaps in my life time.
"I still don't think that it's fully sunk in to be honest how incredible those two weeks at the Olympics were. It was probably the best time of my life in terms of a sporting sense.
"From now on it's just trying to achieve other things - things that I hold close to my heart like Paris–Roubaix, the Giro d'Italia or maybe even trying to win the Tour again. It's things I want to do and not what others [want me to do] because that could be dangerous if you get drawn into that.
"Some people say that it is tradition to defend the Tour but why? Says who? Lance Armstrong? We'll we've seen what has happened to him. We don't have to win seven Tours now, we know that. The pressure is off with that because as it stands here I've won more Tours than Lance Armstrong.
"I'd love to win the Tour of Italy because for me it is as big as the Tour de France. I've been very fortunate to lead the Tour of Italy and that jersey takes pride of place in my house. I would love to win that race overall because people could then say he was a s**t climber but he won the Tour de France and the Tour of Italy."
It has been reported that there will be three time-trial events at next year's Giro d'Italia.
A Year in Yellow, which is a documentary about the last 12 months of Wiggins's life, will be shown on Sky Atlantic HD on Wednesday, November 21 at 10pm.
Liam Apicella
