Wiggins and Froome stoke Tour de France row Bradley Wiggins behind teammate Chris Froome during the 17th stage of last year's race. Team Sky was plunged into potential turmoil on Monday night as Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome appeared at loggerheads over who will lead the team at this year's Tour de France. Hours after Wiggins had surprised reporters by insisting that he was more convinced than ever of being able to win the Giro d'Italia and then going on to still successfully defend his Tour de France title, Froome was evidently left so irritated that he felt the need to issue a statement saying he had been assured that he would be the team's No 1 in the Tour. Wiggins won last year with Froome riding in support, taking second place overall after showing signs that he had Wiggins's measure in the mountains. This year, Wiggins has declared the Giro would be his principal target. Yet as he prepared to fly to Naples to launch his Giro assault at the weekend, Wiggins again muddied the water over whether he, Froome - or both - would actually then end up spearheading Team Sky's Tour assault. Wiggins suggested that nothing would be finalised until the team met just before the Tour started in Corsica and that he could foresee a scenario where the two of them sorted out their leadership on the roads during the first week of the race. On hearing of Wiggins comments, Froome issued a statement, saying: "There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013. I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing and at no time has the leadership of the Tour team been in question. Wiggins, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Sunday, was in a fairly bullish mood at a hotel near his Lancashire home as he suggested that becoming the first Briton to win the Giro, which sets off on its fiendish three-week path on Saturday, would be the greatest achievement of his career in pure cycling terms, even ahead of his Tour-Olympics double. Yet he also did not sound like a man who, even though he has made the Giro his absolute 2013 priority, will be content to easily play second fiddle to his younger teammate Froome, who has been in scintillating form. "I believe more than ever that I can win the Giro and the Tour this year," said Wiggins. Whether I get the opportunity to do that as a leader of the Tour remains to be seen. Asked about the potential relationship on the Tour between him and Froome, he added: "A lot of people are struggling to get their heads around this but I don't think it is that confusing really. We both want to win the Tour de France and we are both on different paths towards that. I imagine we will get three days out from the race when we arrive in Corsica and Dave (team principal Sir Dave Brailsford) will then have to take a decision about how we do this. In an ideal scenario we will both be in incredible condition and both be capable of winning the Tour. Then it all lies in Dave's hands as to say 'right, this is what we are going to do based on everything. We are going to go with you, Chris, or you, Brad or in the first week we are going to go with the both of you and see what happens. In an ideal scenario it will be with both of us that first week and let the racing take care of itself. When reminded that Froome had been adamant in his pronouncements about being team leader, Wiggins added: "I don't know what more to say. Dave's told us both in meetings how we are going to do it. You wouldn't bet a lot of money against Chris not being the leader, but we may run with both of us. Last year, Froome, famously, sped away from Wiggins in the mountains in what appeared a show of strength before being ordered to rein back and serve his team leader. Wiggins, who has cordial relations with Froome although the pair are not pals, noted intriguingly at the weekend he had not forgotten. Asked yesterday if he would rather have Froome on his team rather than in an opposition squad, Wiggins said: "I think so, yes. We both want to win the race and we are both incredibly competitive people. He said he felt Froome would be in the form of his life at the tour but that he himself felt a better rider than last year. The scene is set for a classic rivalry to unfold.