Bradley Wiggins will walk away from road cycling at the end of the 2014 season, instead going back to his roots as a track rider. The former Tour de France winner rules out ever return to a grand tour riding for the GC and has now set his sights on Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.

There has been plenty of recent speculation about Bradley Wiggins' future role on the Sky team with the 2012 Tour de France winner himself indicating that his days as a grand tour contender are gone. In a legthy interview with The Times, the Brit has now made his future plans clear.

It has long been known that Wiggins has set his sights on the world time trial championships in September which is his only remaining target in the 2013 season. The Sky rider has now revealed that the 2014 season will be his last as a road rider, instead turning his attention towards the track.

"I'm going to continue to the next Olympics and try for a fifth gold on the track. That's the plan," he told The Times. "Having lost weight and muscle the last few years, I wouldn't be able to walk back into that team pursuit squad, so I'm not taking it for granted, but I am working towards that. It would be nice to finish the career with another Olympic gold."

Around the time of the Giro d'Italia which had been Wiggins' original season target, there was a public spat between the reigning Tour de France and his successor Chris Froome. Having indicated that he would also ride the Tour de France as a leader, Wiggins had forced Sky to react by making it clear that the team was set to support Froome in the French grand tour.

Ultimately, Wiggins lost out on Tour participation due to a knee injury and the Sky rider is now quite frank when asked to compare himself with Froome.

"I don't mind admitting that Chris is probably a better Grand Tour rider than me," he said. "He is a much better climber, he can time-trial well. He has age on his side, he has no kids. That's fine."

"If Chris wants to, he could potentially win five Tours now. So if I want to win another Tour, I'd probably have to leave the team." Would he leave? "No," he said. "I love this team. This is my home. I'm not going to go, 'I want to be the leader still, so I'm off.'"

Wiggins still plans to ride another Tour next year, working as a super-domestique for Froome while also targeting a time trial win along the way. Gone are the days where he will go for overall glory himself.

"Because of the work I am doing. I am p****** on my chances for that," he said. "I can't put all this weight on and then suddenly lose muscle and do GC again. Anyway, the next person in line, the natural successor, is Richie Porte. He really is the next one who could potentially win the Tour."

It has taken some time for Wiggins to accept his new role in his team. He does, however, completely understand his team's choice to focus on Froome for the future.

"At that point it was clear," he said. "We've got this 28-year-old guy [Froome] who looks like he can dominate for the next few years and they are going to back him. Then there's me: 32, knocking on a bit. In a sense I kind of accept that."

He now accepts his situation.

"I was thinking: 'You know what, I am quite happy with my lot. I've achieved everything I want to achieve. I am good at what I am good at; I am good at the odd time-trial. I've already won the Tour de France, no one can take that away from me.'"

Wiggins most recently raced the Eneco Tour and is likely to next line up at the Tour of Britain as he finishes his preparation for the world championships.