Bradley Wiggins has launched an attack against those who may be linking his recent good form with rumours of doping.

The 32-year-old secured the overall Tour de France lead - along with the yellow jersey - on Saturday before successfully defending it in stage eight today.

When the three-time Olympic gold medallist was asked about rumours that he might be doping, Wiggins ranted: "I say [the people spreading rumours] are just f**king w**kers. I cannot be doing with people like that.

"It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can't ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives.

"It's easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of s**t, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something - and that's ultimately it. C**ts."

The Tour heads to Arc-et-Senans for the first long time trial tomorrow.