Sir Bradley Wiggins’ return to the bike at the Tour of Poland was never going to be a tepid, predictable affair and so it proved as he saw his GC hopes shattered on day one.

On his return from the knee injury which saw him withdraw from the Giro d’Italia and miss the Tour de France, Wiggins rolled in 9’13” behind stage winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) in 58th place.

In fairness to Wiggins, he was not the only one to struggle as Giro d’Italia champion Vicenzo Nibali (Astana) finished in the same time, while Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) lost 16’43”.

However, just as the armchair critics were lining up to shout him down, Wiggins responded with a brilliant support ride for Sergio Henao to put his Colombian team mate into second overall after stage two.

Now, with Henao as Sky’s leading contender for overall glory, could this be the moment the British team learn from past mistakes and launch the next chapter of Wiggins’ illustrious career?

It is a situation forced upon them more by accident than design, but with last year’s Tour de France winner now effectively Henao’s super-domestique, is this the chance to reassess Wiggins’ role?

Just as critics were lining up to shout him down, Wiggins responded with a brilliant support ride for Sergio Henao.

There are plenty of examples of Sky sticking rigidly to their team leader, even when team-mates have been better placed in the general classification, to learn from.

Stage 11 of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana is a case-in-point, when Wiggins finished 27” ahead of Chris Froome to replace him in the maglia rojo.

In the long-term, however, the 20” the latter lost to eventual winner Juan Jose Cobo (Geox-TMC) proved the difference between second and first on the final podium.

Four days later Froome set the pace for Wiggins on the brutal ascent of the Alto de L’Angliru while Cobo soloed to a stage victory which saw him take the coveted jersey, which he held until the finish in Madrid.

It begged the question whether Froome should have been allowed to attack earlier, with Wiggins visibly struggling, and it will never be known if the former could have won the maglia rojo had he been allowed to.

Earlier this year, sticking to Wiggins in the treacherous conditions in the Giro d’Italia until he dropped out of the top ten after stage 12 and ultimately succumbed to injury and illness, also meant Rigoberto Uran sacrificed any personal GC hopes.

The margin of Vincenzo Nibali’s comprehensive overall victory suggest it would have made little difference, but Uran was just 17” off the race lead before the split in the peloton in stage seven saw Wiggins and his team mates in a chasing group.

Since Chris Froome’s Tour de France win, the question has been asked whether the two could possibly ride together – with Sir Dave Brailsford insisting they can.

If Wiggins continues to play the team role, Henao stands a great chance of taking the overall victory and there will still be a chance for personal glory for the former in the individual time trial

Former Vuelta champion Sean Kelly is among those who believe Sky will face a tricky situation if they select both however, but could it all now change after Poland?

If Wiggins continues to play the team role, Henao stands a great chance of taking the overall victory and there will still be a chance for personal glory for the former in the individual time trial.

Given Wiggins’ most immediate target is the World Time Trial Championship in Florence on September 25, surely this is better preparation for him, too.

A win in Krakow, with a course Froome believes will suit his team mate awaiting in Florence, will put Wiggins among the favourites for the rainbow jersey.

Grand Tour stage wins in the form of individual time trials, with the rainbow jersey on his back, will surely be an attractive proposition for Wiggins.

Nobody is suggesting the Londoner, clearly still a fiercely strong rider in his own right, should abandon all GC hopes in future and become a domestique.

Given his experience and ability however, a role as road captain would make Wiggins instrumental to any future success Team Sky have, be it for himself or a team mate.

Nobody is suggesting Wiggins, clearly still a fiercely strong rider in his own right, should abandon all GC hopes but a role as road captain would make him instrumental to any future Team Sky success

He has already proved he has the temperament too, even if his public spat with Chris Froome has suggested otherwise, and you only have to cast your mind back to last year’s Tour of Britain for proof.

Instead of keeping himself up front and enjoying the adulation of an adoring crowd, it was Wiggins who dropped back to guide then-yellow jersey Mark Cavendish through the Staffordshire climbs with the Manxman struggling, reprising his role in the Olympic road race.

Only time will tell, but if Wiggins continues to play the team role as the Tour of Poland returns to Polish soil today, it could be a glimpse of Team Sky’s future and the potential for a very amicable solution to what could be a sticky situation.

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