SIR Bradley Wiggins appeared to call time on his Grand Tour career after picking up a silver medal on his track comeback at the Commonwealth Games.

Wiggins, riding just his second major track meeting since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, led Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Andy Tennant in the team pursuit to finish second for England behind a dominant Australian quartet.

It may not have been the golden return he - and the unflinchingly supportive Glaswegian crowd - were dreaming of when he decided to make his return to the Commonwealths 12 years after his last appearance in Manchester, but his impressive comeback showing was enough to spike his desire to go one better at Rio 2016.

The 2012 Tour de France winner was a controversial omission from Team Sky’s squad this year, but had previously indicated willingness to ride at the Vuelta a Espana, a race his rival and fellow Tour winner Chris Froome will now target.

Wiggins had been considering a new one-year deal that would likely have seen him target one-off events such as Paris-Roubaix or the Hour Record, while also being on hand to Team Sky as a support rider.

But, speaking moments after laying hands on his fourth Commonwealth silver medal, Wiggins indicated a shift in priorities that could see him focus exclusively on the team pursuit and a fifth Olympic gold.

“I certainly answered the question of whether I can still do it or not but I still think it will take a lot more improvement and a lot more dedication,” he said.

“I don’t think I’m doing the Vuelta any more now so I think that could be it, yeah.

“I just think with the commitment it will take to ride track and the speeds we will have to go at, I think it will take a complete change.

“You’re already looking at changing body composition and things like that - getting heavier and more explosive - which will hinder climbing in Grand Tours. And I don’t relish the idea of riding round in the back group for three weeks having won the Tour.

“I think 3minutes 50seconds will probably be the mark (for team pursuit gold at Rio), if you look at the progression of previous Olympic Games, so it’s almost going to become a sprint endurance event now.

It’s completely different and I don’t think the (track) will necessarily complement the Grand Tour races.”

Wiggins, Clancy, Burke and Tennant came in over five seconds behind their Australian rivals.