Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins has admitted he was disappointed not to be able to join his Team GB team-mates as part of the celebration parade yesterdayday but said he had to get on with his day job.

The gold medallist was in Nottingham as the second leg of the Tour of Britain got under way and brushed aside any feelings of regret at not being in the capital.

"We've got our own parade to do this week so, you know, this is our day job," he said.

"We don't have the beauty of having a year off now because the cycling calendar is still going on.

"It would have been nice to have been there with the rest of the team but I think we're all enjoying it this week."

The Tour de France champion took a tumble, along with teammate Mark Cavendish, when several riders were involved in collisions as the peloton swept into the narrow lanes on the final leg of the 120-kilometre (75-mile) course at the Royal Norfolk Showground.

Wiggins said he was "fine" after the crash and the team would be looking to keep hold of the yellow jersey claimed by fellow Team Sky racer Luke Rowe in his first professional stage win in Norwich.

"I think we've obviously got the jersey now so we're looking to try and defend that if possible, and if it does come to a sprint, obviously help Mark again," he said.

Commenting on Cavendish's admission that he was looking to leave Team Sky, Wiggins said: "I understand his reasons, I think we all do.

"It's very amicable so I think sometimes we're the downfall of our own success and it's quite something when the world champion has to leave to win races."

Thousands of people bordered the streets around the castle in Nottingham city centre as riders swept away from the start line at 10am.

Many people called out Wiggins' name and "Cav, Cav" as they tried to get their attention and a photograph of the cyclist and team-mate Cavendish on the start line.