Sir Bradley Wiggins says it will be an honour to defend his Tour of Britain.

Wiggins, Tour de France winner and four times an Olympic gold medal winner, was confirmed today as the leader of Team Sky's squad for the week-long race, which comes to Sussex on September 13.

Wiggins will be joined by fellow Britons Ian Stannard and Ben Swift, with Bernhard Eisel, David Lopez and Sebastian Henao completing Sky's six-man line-up for the eight-stage event.

Wiggins said: ''The Tour of Britain is a special race for me so to be returning as defending champion is a real honour."

The Sussex stage goes through Midhurst, Billingshurst, Horsham, Haywards Heath, Hailsham, Beachy Head, Lewes, Ditchling Beacon and finishes on the seafront at Brighton.