AT the height of his success, Olympic cyclist Bradley Wiggins was a national hero, with fans even sporting stick-on replicas of his iconic sideburns.
The 44-year-old – who boasts eight Olympic medals – became the first Brit to win the Tour de France, won Sports Personality of the Year and was subsequently knighted by the late Queen for his contributions to cycling.
Paul Edwards – The SunSir Bradley Wiggins is one of Britain’s most celebrated athletes[/caption]
GettyHe is now tragically battling financial difficulties[/caption]
AFPThe 44-year-old is the third-most decorated British Olympian in history[/caption]
But a decade of turmoil has left him bankrupt, divorced, homeless and reportedly sofa-surfing.
“He has lost absolutely everything,” said his lawyer Alan Sellers. “His family home, his home in Majorca, his savings and investments. It’s a very sad state of affairs.”
Wiggins – who retired in 2016 in the cloud of a doping scandal – was once estimated to be worth £13million but now “doesn’t have a penny”.
Sadly, the man affectionately dubbed ‘Sir Wiggo’ may have to flog his trophies and medals – including a custom Tour trophy he won in 2012 – to pay back debts, the Mail reports.
While it’s no secret the Olympian had been experiencing financial troubles for some years, insiders were unaware of the extent of his difficulties.
It is the latest sad chapter in the rollercoaster life of Britain’s most beloved cyclist, who has been admirably frank about his troubled upbringing and subsequent struggles under the spotlight of fame.
Trophy haul & ‘doping’ scandal
By the time of the London Olympics, Wiggins was one of the nation’s most recognisable stars – so much so that he was chosen to ring the ceremonial bell to start the opening ceremony.
He was already a veteran of the Games, having won his first medal in 2000 and picked up two golds at Beijing in 2008, inspiring a new generation of cyclists.
But 2012 proved his most fruitful year to date, having also won prestigious Tour de France, becoming the first British cyclist to do so.
However, that success story was about to unravel.
In 2016, his medical records were leaked by Russian hackers, revealing that he had used the performance-enhancing drug triamcinolone before key races, including the Tour de France.
Although he had a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the drug, which he claimed was for treating asthma and allergies, the revelation sparked controversy.
Critics accused him of abusing loopholes in the TUE system to gain a performance advantage, casting a shadow over his achievements.
The same year, Wiggins retired from professional cycling amid the ongoing investigation into the doping allegations.
He vehemently denied any wrongdoing, describing the investigation as a “malicious witch-hunt” that nearly killed his then wife, Cath, due to the immense stress it caused.
Without his mod hair cut, Wiggins looks almost unrecognisable today
PA:Press AssociationWiggins won BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012[/caption]
A parliamentary report later concluded that Team Sky – who managed Wiggins – abused the system to allow him to take the drugs before the Tour de France.
The Daily Mail later revealed that during the final day of the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, a parcel was transported by a British Cycling staff member from the governing body’s Manchester headquarters to Team Sky.
Allegations arose that the parcel contained triamcinolone, reportedly administered to Wiggins on the Sky bus.
But claims by Sky manager Dave Brailsford that it contained the legal asthma drug fluimucil remain unverified due to the lack of documented records at both Sky and British Cycling, leaving the matter unsubstantiated.
“The claim that the package was for me does not make sense. I never saw it. What was in it? I would not know. Maybe it was a dildo for Dave Brailsford,” Wiggins said.
Shock divorce
Bradley Wiggins with his ex wife Cath at the Beijing Olympics in 2008Rex Features
PA:Press AssociationSir Bradley with his ex wife Catherine, and children Isabella and Ben who hold his award of a Knighthood, after it was presented to him by the late Queen[/caption]
His personal life continued to unravel post-retirement.
In 2020, Wiggins and the mother of his two children divorced after 16 years together. Their split came as a huge shock to those closest to them.
In his 2012 autobiography, My Time, Wiggins dedicated several pages to his wife, commending her for saving him from a destructive, alcohol-fueled youth and highlighting the crucial role she played in his success.
“She’s the constant one, the one who’s always there,” he wrote. “She’s seen me through the good times, the bad times, the ups, the downs, the great times. Since we got together, in 2002, we’ve been a team.
Sir Bradley Wiggins glittering career
As the first British cyclist to clinch the Tour de France in 2012, he cemented his legacy in road cycling. Here we look at his other incredible achievements
First British Tour de France Winner: Became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012.
Olympic success: Won a total of 8 Olympic medals (5 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) across five Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016.
Track cycling Dominance: Achieved multiple World Championship titles in track cycling, including in the individual pursuit and team pursuit events.
Men’s hour record: Set a new UCI Hour Record in 2015, covering 54.526 kilometres.
Knighthood: Knighted in 2013 for services to cycling, becoming Sir Bradley Wiggins.
“Cath knows when I am on it, when I am not on it, when I’m skiving, not skiving . . . because I’ve been through all those phases in my life and she knows me better than anyone.
“She’ll always stand by me and support me. She is the keeper of everything for me because she is the last point of protection. In her eyes I can never do any wrong.”
So what went so badly wrong between the pair? Their split was described as acrimonious with reports of volatile and frequent arguments.
But some insiders believe his relationship couldn’t endure the shame from the doping scandal.
In the aftermath of the accusations, Wiggins claimed Cath was treated in rehab for the stress.
Soon after, he began a relationship with PR executive Laura Hartshorne. The pair had a child together but have since separated.
Money struggles
PA:Press AssociationBradley Wiggins bravely revealed he had been sexually abused by at the age of 13 by his coach[/caption]
Financial troubles compounded Wiggins’ personal struggles. In 2020, his company, Wiggins Rights Limited, went into voluntary liquidation, owing over £300,000 to creditors, including HM Revenue & Customs.
By November 2023, his debts had ballooned to nearly £1 million, leading to his declaration of bankruptcy.
The cyclist said at the time: “It’s a very historical matter that involves professional negligence from [others] that has left a s*** pile with my name at the front of it to deal with.”
The house he shared with his ex wife was seized and his medals and trophies may be sold to pay back debts – marking a dramatic fall from grace for the once-celebrated athlete.
Erratic behaviour
Darren Fletcher – The SunThe cyclist struggles with imposter syndrome at the height of his fame[/caption]
In 2021, his erratic behaviour made headlines when he was filmed in an expletive-filled rant after a trip to Disneyland Paris, where he called Mickey Mouse a “c***” and berated parents for letting their children run wild.
Wiggins later confessed he had struggled with the pressures of fame and professional cycling, and was prone to depression and heavy drinking.
Earlier this year, the Belgium-born star, told the BBC in a documentary how he struggled with imposter syndrome, which made him destroy various trophies and hide his medals away.
“My Olympics medals are just in a carrier bag somewhere,” he said.
“I had a really bad period in 2019, my wife was struggling with mental illness and I was losing the plot big style.
“I smashed all my trophies – my BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy, my knighthood trophy, not the achievement medals from cycling but the things that came as a byproduct of cycling, the awards.”
Personal struggles
Wiggins experienced a tumultuous upbringing, primarily raised by his mother on a Kilburn estate in north London.
His Australian father, also a successful cyclist, left when he was two, reportedly due to alcoholism.
And when they did meet when Wiggins was breaking through as a 19-year-old rising star in cycling, his dad – who also made a career in racing bikes – told him: “You’ll never be as good as me.”
Wiggins has also claimed that his stepfather was abusive, although his stepfather denies these allegations.
“I smashed all my trophies – my BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy, my knighthood trophy, not the achievement medals from cycling but the things that came as a byproduct of cycling, the awards.”
Sir Bradley Wiggins
He took up cycling aged 12, inspired by Chris Boardman’s success at the 1992 Olympics.
In 2022, Wiggins revealed that he had been sexually abused at the age of 13 by his 73-year-old coach.
This traumatic experience had a lasting effect on him, contributing to his struggles with mental health.
“I was such a loner. I just wanted to get out of the environment. I became so insular. I was quite a strange teenager in many ways and I think the drive on the bike stemmed from adversity,” he said.
Wiggins called his roguish appearance “a veil”.
He said: “I was catapulted to fame…But I’m an introvert. I was adopting the coolest persona I could [as] a defence mechanism. A distraction. I was hiding.”
What’s next?
Fans hope the beloved cyclist can find his feet againGetty
Since retiring, it seems that Bradley has struggled to find himself.
In 2019, he had enrolled to do a degree in social work, saying he “wants to help people”.
He told The Big Issue: “Those horrific things I saw when I was growing up – nothing can shock me now, and I want to use that mental toughness working as a social worker.
“When people say, ‘Oh, you’re that cyclist’, I’ll say, ‘No, that was a few years ago. I’m a social worker now’.”
But he went quiet on the subject and in 2021 he announced he was training to become a doctor.
He also tried his hand at boxing and rowing, while his pundit career dried up because of the doping scandal.
Last year, Wiggins claimed he no longer watched cycling and said the sport “doesn’t define him”.
Whatever his calling is in life, we hope Bradley can find inner peace and get back on track.