Can Wiggins Carry The Yellow Jersey All The Way?

Yesterday saw the first real mountain stage of this year's Tour de France and as expected the day ended with a new yellow jersey holder - Britain's Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky).

The Sky team showed it's superior strength and depth supporting Wiggins up the final climb and into the yellow jersey position. (Helped, I might add by Aussie's Mick Rogers and Richie Porte).

But can Wiggin's carry the yellow jersey all the way to Paris? And does he even want to hold it all the way? I would think defending the jersey for the next two weeks is a heavy cross to bear.

It does however force Wiggins' opponents to change their game. Cadel will have to ride offensively, but I believe he will bide his time making sure he stays with Wiggins until the moment is right and Paris closer. Although you can't choose when you take the yellow jersey in a race like the Tour de France, as Wiggins said himself, you can work to a plan.

Many have already all but written off Cadel after Team Sky's impressive display of team work. They showed they have what it takes to win the tour, whereas Cadel's, BMC racing were perhaps exposed leaving Cadel isolated for the final climb.

I still feel that Cadel is in a perfect position going into the second week of the race. He is in the right mindspace, which we all know has previously been his Achilles heel, he has the form and of course, the experience. It will all depend on his team and whether they can match the climbing power of Team Sky.

And of course we can never write off Vincenzo Nibali who is almost hiding in third place at the moment.

Then again, anything can happen; there are so many unknowns and permutations, after all this is the Tour de France! But there is no doubt it will be an exciting two weeks of racing to come.