Why Wiggins' win in Ponferrada is bad for cycling

Fabian Cancellara shows off his World Championship stripes at the 2011 Tour de France

WINNING cycling's World Championships is much like having an attractive girlfriend - what's the point in having the rainbow stripes if you're not going to show them off?

In Sir Bradley Wiggins, cycling has a world time trial champion of whom sightings in the rainbow stripes next season will be rarer than Wayne Rooney quoting Shakespeare.

Wiggins is no stranger to the title of world champion, having won six track titles between 2003-2008, but his win over Tony Martin in Ponferrada was his first on the road.

With the 34-year-old dedicated to making a return to the track in time for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro the future of the 2012 Tour de France winner is still up in the air.

But Wiggins is close to signing a new contract with Team Sky, for who he has ridden since their debut in 2010, although there is no doubt his' road racing schedule would be heavily reduced in coming seasons.

“We are looking at putting together a package which isn’t a traditional sort of contract,” said Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford. “It’s more built around supporting him through to Rio and giving him some options on the road with Team Sky next year.”

Wiggins has made no secret of his desires to win the historic Paris-Roubaix classic, where he finished ninth in April and make an attempt at the hour record before his career comes to a close.

With the intensive training schedule of a track cyclist, it is feasible that Wiggins has competed in his last ever stage race - taking the win in the Tour of Britain's short time trial in September.

It is also feasible, therefore, that Wiggins will not compete in a single time trial in 2015 - unable to show off the stripes he worked for so many years to win 

Without a Grand Tour under his belt in 2014, it would be a stretch to think that Wiggins will be in the kind of shape needed to complete the Giro, Tour or Vuelta next year.

Indeed 2015 will likely be the first time since 2002 that the time trial champion's rainbow stripes will not be seen in the Tour de France, although then it was because Jan Ullrich was in a spot of bother for his drug-taking tendencies.

So often in recent years have we been treated to shows of strength from the world champions in the major races - Tony Martin has barely lost a time trial in his three-year reign, and Mark Cavendish notched up six Grand Tour stage wins wearing the stripes in 2012.

Compare that to the lacklustre results of 2013 road race champion Rui Costa, who swapped Movistar for Lampre-Merida in the offseason after winning his stripes in Tuscany and was virtually invisible the whole season.

A third consecutive win at the Tour de Suisse in June was Costa's only one of the season; the Portuguese was 13 minutes behind Vincenzo Nibali when he withdrew from the Tour de France with pneumonia.

And for that reason, Costa will go down as one of the most forgettable world champions in recent memory - the same fate could ultimately lay with Wiggins if his 2015 pans out as expected.

Cycling deserves to have its biggest stars on show throughout the season; its champions showing why they are the best at their discipline, not just the best at it on one day in September.

So at the very least, Sir Wiggo, take part in some local 10-milers around Lancashire to give that new jersey of yours a little bit of exposure.