Bradley Wiggins secures Tour of Britain title

Bradley Wiggins has secured the Tour of Britain title with a resounding victory in London.

The Tour de France champion went into the eighth stage of the race with a 26-second lead after holding an advantage from stage three onwards.

Omega Pharma Quick Step rider Mark Cavendish won the concluding stage, but Wiggins topped the overall rankings with a time of 29 hours, 45 minutes and 22 seconds.

"I said I wanted to win it. It is pressure for the whole week," BBC Sport quotes Wiggins as saying.

"Until you cross the line, you just don't know. It's all right to think it's a bit of a ceremony round London, but it certainly isn't.

"You cross the line, you're pumped up. It's relief that you've finished and fulfilled it for your team and your teammates."

The result caps off 12 successful months for Wiggins, who won an Olympic gold medal and the Tour de France title in 2012.