Brailsford (right) has a dual role with British Cycling and Team Sky

Bradley Wiggins has said British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford's role with Team Sky will not affect medal hopes at London 2012.

Retired Olympic champion and now head of the United States team Jamie Staff had questioned Brailsford's additional role with the professional road team.

But Wiggins, 30, told BBC London 94.9: "It's a load of rubbish to be honest.

"Jamie has now gone to the American job and I think a lot of it is tongue in cheek, winding up, mind games now."

Wiggins won three medals at the Athens Games in 2004 and two at Beijing in 2008.

He added: "I think we've set such a high standard the last few years of going to World Championships, going to Olympic Games and coming back with such a high medal haul, that the minute we start coming back with two medals people will say 'it's starting to fall apart' which is complete rubbish.

Cycling is booming and the bigger it gets the more criticism it seems to get, which is a shame, because we are doing so well at the moment Bradley Wiggins

"Dave, that's what he does, that's what he's professional at, his man management, he's done a great job. We're bang in the middle of two Olympic Games and this is the important time, the next two years, and the medal haul at the Olympic Games. Until that happens people can't really criticise.

"These are just rumours and myths that have been put out there but no-one actually knows the facts of what he's actually doing and that's half the trouble of these things. Cycling is booming and the bigger it gets the more criticism it seems to get, which is a shame, because we are doing so well at the moment."

Wiggins also added that he has no intention of retiring and plans on competing for many years to come.

"I've got another 10 years, my goal is another three Olympic games," he said. "I've been quite fortunate in my career with injuries and crashes, up to now things have held up pretty well."

Bradley Wiggins' interview will be on BBC London 94.9's Olympic and Paralympic programme 'Towards 2012' on Sunday from 1400 GMT.

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