The 36-year-old, who has been caught up in controversy in recent weeks, was a surprise inclusion when the four-day Emirate race announced its first batch of participants last month, despite saying "that is certainly it for the road" after the Tour of Britain.
The Abu Dhabi Tour yesterday published its provisional start list for the race, which begins on October 20, and Wiggins’ name was at the top of the list for his eponymous Continental-level team.
However, his representatives confirmed to Cyclingnews today that he will not take part in the race.
They explained that, despite being on the provisional list, he had never actually committed to racing, and does not want to jeopardise his appearance on the track at the London Six Day, which begins on October 25.
After that event, Wiggins is set to close out his career at the Ghent Six in November.
Update: Abu Dhabi Tour response
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Later on Thursday, the Abu Dhabi Tour organisers issued a statement, saying they were "surprised and disappointed to see different stories in the media regarding Bradley Wiggins and the Abu Dhabi Tour".
They did not acknowledge they've had direct confirmation of Wiggins' withdrawal and explained that as far as they were concerned he was going to race and everything was in place for that.
"Before the first announcement (20 September) we received the approval from Team Wiggins to communicate the presence of Bradley Wiggins at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Tour," read the statement. "Last week the Official Enrolment Form was submitted by a Team Wiggins official to RCS Sport with the name of the rider Bradley Wiggins included in the provisional entry list.
"In addition, as is usual practise for a major race, flights and accommodation have been booked in the name of Bradley Wiggins and those accompanying him.
"It is important to clarify that the long-standing expectation has been that Sir Bradley will be riding the 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour, and that all operations by the race owner, race organiser and its representatives and agents have been based on that expectation in good faith."
Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
