Orica-GreenEDGE linked to a daring attempt to recruit champion cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins

Australian team ORICA-GreenEDGE has been linked to a daring attempt to recruit champion cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Bradley Wiggins

ORICA-GreenEDGE has been linked to a daring attempt to recruit champion cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins, 33, is contracted to crack British team Sky until the end of next year, but rumours continue to circulate that Wiggins wants to be released.

Sky principal Sir David Brailsford has said Wiggins would not be leaving, but OGE was reputedly a target for last year's Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medallist.

OGE director Matt White worked with Wiggins at Garmin in 2009 and would welcome the chance to do so again. But he said current speculation was unfounded.

"That's all it is, rumour," White said. 

"I'd love to work with 'Wiggo'. I worked with him in 2009.

"But, yeah, there's been no contact between Bradley Wiggins and anyone from our organisation."

Asked whether Wiggins and OGE could prove a successful mix - something regarded as unachievable at Sky - White said: "Hypothetically, it would work. 

"A couple of things standing in the way of that. 

"One is a contract - he's still under contract for another year with Sky - and the other one is money.

"One is harder to resolve than the other and that's the contract part."

Wiggins is regarded as on the outer at Sky after a spectacular season last year.

A knee injury, fading motivation and the emergence of arch rival Chris Froome have conspired to push him down Sky's pecking order.

A challenge to manage at the best of times, Wiggins has recently indicated he was no longer prepared to suffer to win, while Froome, Tasmanian Richie Porte and several other rising Sky stars are.

"For me it was always about winning the Tour," Wiggins said. 

"I've done that. If I'm honest, I don't think I'm prepared to make those sacrifices again that I made last year, with my family and so on. I've achieved what I've achieved. I'm incredibly happy with that. 

"If I do anything else after this, it will be stuff I want to do, stuff that I'm willing to train hard and sacrifice for.

"For me it was always about winning the Tour. That was a huge thing for me, a huge journey.

"I don't know if I'd want to go through all that again to be honest. I've always had other goals."

Sky's Tour de France team has been far more serene this season under the leadership of the less animated Froome.

OGE does not have a mature general classification rider and while Brailsford said Wiggins was "100 per cent staying" with Sky, stranger things have happened.