(Photo: Bettini)

British cycling star Bradley Wiggins reinforced his standing as one of the key contenders for this year's Tour de France with success in the Tour de Romandie on Sunday. The Team Sky star, winner already this year of the Paris-Nice stage race, was lying second overall, nine seconds behind Luis Leon Sanchez, going into the fifth and final stage.

And he overhauled that deficit when lifting the 16.2 kilometre race-against-the-clock around Crans-Montana in a time of 28min 56sec. American Andrew Talansky came in second with Australia's Richie Porte in third. But it was not all plain sailing for Wiggins, who took fourth in the 2009 Tour de France, as his bike's chain slipped during the stage.

"It was a dramatic time trial with a bit of everything and even a mechanical incident," the Londoner said. He added: "I'm very pleased with the way I handled the problem because a few years ago I would have thrown my bike in the ditch in anger."

Talansky also came in second in the overall standings 12sec adrift with Portugual's Rui Costa third at 0.36s. Overnight leader Sanchez slipped to 10th overall after trailing in over one minute behind Wiggins in the time trial. The week in Romandie was profitable for Wiggins' team which won three of the five stages. Cadel Evans, who won last season's Tour de France, finished 40th in the time trial for an overall placing of 29th.