Attention puzzles Briton Wiggins

Rodez, France: Pundits and fans have been gathering around Bradley Wiggins after the Paris-Nice stages to watch him warm down but the Briton finds their curiosity as puzzling as the apparent obsession about the length of his hair.

Wiggins, who retained the eight-day race's overall lead after Wednesday's fourth stage was won by Belgian Gianni Meersman, rides a stationary home trainer for some ten minutes, a habit he has developed to avoid being stiff the following morning.

It's crazy

Asked about it in a post-stage news conference, the Team Sky rider said: "Really, it's just a warm-down. There are two things in cycling which cause so much commotion: it's the length of my hair and the fact that I warm down.

"Surely there's other things to talk about... it's crazy. But people love it so we'll do more warm-down, that's for sure."

Wiggins was then quizzed about his Paul Weller-style hair, which has grown slightly longer in recent weeks.

"Hair grows, it's a natural thing in life," he said.

Wiggins's lead was under threat in yesterday's fifth stage from Onet-le-Chateau to the Col de Mende, a brutal three-kilometre ascent at an average gradient of 10.1 per cent.

Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who is sixth overall 20 seconds off the pace, would have been the biggest threat.

"If I get to the Col d'Eze [last stage, an uphill time trial] with a ten-second advantage it's going to be good," Wiggins said.

"The most important thing is to have the yellow jersey on Sunday."