Under at-tack… Wiggins retains yellow jersey for seventh day as controversy reigns

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UPDATED:

17:00 GMT, 15 July 2012

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins believes the sabotage of stage 14 – when tacks on the road caused a number of punctures in the peloton – showed how vulnerable riders are on the road, where more severe incidents could yet occur.

Jean-Francois Pescheux, competitions director of Tour organisers Amaury Sports Organisation, confirmed around 30 riders suffered punctures on the climb of Mur de Peguere on the 191-kilometre route from Limoux to Foix.

Seventh heaven: Wiggins retains the yellow jersey once again

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With Wiggins and defending champion
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) among those to suffer flat tires, the stage was
neutralised, initially by the Briton's Team Sky squad, as the peloton
rolled in more than 18 minutes behind stage winner Luis-Leon Sanchez.

Job done: Luis-Leon Sanchez celebrates as he crosses the finishing line and at the presentation

Wiggins said: 'What can you do It's something we can't control. There's nothing stopping more of that sort of stuff happening.

'It's sad. Those are the type of things we have to put up with as cyclists.

High hopes: the pack twist through the mountain roads

'I think people take that for granted sometimes, just how close they can get to us.

'If that happened in a football stadium, or wherever, you'd be arrested, CCTV.

Under at-tack: Around 30 punctures, including three for Cadel Evans (below) marred Stage 14

'But we're out there, quite vulnerable at times, very close to the public on climbs.

'We're just the riders at the end of the day and we're there to be shot at, literally.

Team effort: Wiggins rides along with the other members of Team Sky

'It's quite sad and hopefully that's not going to continue.

'There's nothing you can do about it. We just have to get on with it.'

More to follow…

Seventh heaven: Wiggins has broken Chris Boardman's British record