Bradley Wiggins facts for kids
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Wiggins at the 2015 UEC European Track Championships
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Bradley Marc Wiggins | ||
| Nickname | Wiggo | ||
| Born | 28 April 1980 Ghent, Flanders, Belgium |
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| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb; 10 st 12 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Individual pursuit Time trialist All-rounder |
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| Major wins | |||
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Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins (born 28 April 1980) is a famous British former professional road and track cyclist. He raced professionally from 2001 to 2016. He started his amazing career on the track, then moved to road cycling.
Bradley Wiggins won world titles in four different cycling events. He also won Olympic gold medals in three events. He is the only cyclist to have won both World and Olympic championships on the track and the road. He also won the famous Tour de France race. He has worn the leader's jersey in all three major cycling Grand Tours. He even held the world record for the team pursuit several times.
He won a gold medal at four Olympic Games in a row, from 2004 to 2016. He was Great Britain's most decorated Olympian with 8 medals until 2021. Bradley is also the only rider to win the Tour de France and an Olympic Gold medal in the same year. He achieved this incredible feat just one week apart in 2012.
Bradley Wiggins was born in Ghent, Belgium. His father, Gary Wiggins, was an Australian cyclist. Bradley moved to London when he was two years old and was raised there by his British mother, Linda. He focused on track cycling until 2008. Between 2000 and 2008, he won ten medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, including six gold medals. His first Olympic medal was a bronze in 2000. He then won three medals, including a gold, in 2004. In 2008, he won two more gold medals.
He became a professional road cyclist in 2001, but started focusing on it more after 2008. He was known for being good at time trials. In 2009, he finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France. Later, he was moved up to third place after another rider's results were cancelled. In 2010, he joined the new Team Sky. In 2011, he won his first big stage race, the Critérium du Dauphiné. He also finished third in the Vuelta a España, later becoming second.
In 2012, Bradley Wiggins had an amazing year. He won the Paris–Nice, the Tour de Romandie, and the Critérium du Dauphiné. He then became the first British cyclist to win the 2012 Tour de France. Soon after, he won the time trial at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2014, he won a gold medal in the time trial at the road world championships. He also started his own cycling team, Team Wiggins. He went back to track cycling at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In June 2015, he set a new hour record, cycling 54.526 km (33.881 mi) in one hour. In 2016, he won another world championship in the madison. He also won a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2016 Summer Olympics, his fifth Olympic medal in a row. He officially retired from professional cycling on 28 December 2016.
Bradley Wiggins received several awards for his achievements. He was made a CBE in 2009. After his amazing year in 2012, he won the Vélo d'Or award for best rider. He also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and was made a knight in 2013.
Contents
- Early Life and His Start in Cycling
- Professional Cycling Journey
- Early Years (2001–2004)
- Road Cycling Focus (2005–2007)
- Back to the Track (2008)
- Tour de France Breakthrough (2009)
- Joining Team Sky (2010)
- Dauphiné and Vuelta Success (2011)
- Tour de France and Olympic Gold (2012)
- Giro d'Italia and Tour of Britain (2013)
- World Time Trial Champion and Track Return (2014)
- Paris–Roubaix, Team WIGGINS, and Hour Record (2015)
- Fifth Olympic Gold and Retirement (2016)
- Personal Life and Interests
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and His Start in Cycling
Bradley Wiggins was born on 28 April 1980 in Ghent, Belgium. His father, Gary Wiggins, was a professional cyclist from Australia. His mother, Linda, was British. His father left the family when Bradley was two years old. Bradley and his mother moved to London. He grew up in Willesden Green and Maida Vale. He went to St Augustine's junior school and then St Augustine's Church of England High School.
At first, Bradley loved football and was a big fan of Arsenal. He discovered cycling when his mother told him to watch the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She pointed out that his father had been good at the individual pursuit event. Bradley watched the rest of the Olympics and fell in love with cycling.
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In 1992, when he was 12, he entered his first race. It was on an unopened road in Hayes, west London. Later that year, he broke his collarbone in a road accident. He received some money for his injuries. He gave some to his mother and used the rest to buy his first racing bicycle. He remembered telling his art teacher, "At 12, I told my art teacher, I'm going to be Olympic champion, I'm going to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour."
He joined the Archer Road Club, where his father had also been a member. He raced at Herne Hill Velodrome and around Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. He got sponsors like Olympia Sport and Team Brite. He also represented Westminster in the London Youth Games. In 2010, he was added to the London Youth Games Hall of Fame for his early success.
At 16, he won the 1 km (0.6 mi) time trial at the 1996 junior national track championships. He was invited to train at Manchester Velodrome. After school, he started a business studies course but left to focus on cycling. In 1997, he won several junior national track championships. He was the only British rider at the 1997 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Cape Town.
His big moment came in June 1998 when he won the three-kilometre individual pursuit at the junior track world championships in Cuba. He was 18. The next week, he won his titles again at the junior national track championships. He represented England at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. He finished fourth in the individual pursuit and won a silver medal in the team pursuit. This was his first senior medal. He then became a full-time athlete, supported by the National Lottery.
In 1999, he started training with the Great Britain team pursuit squad. He rode in the PruTour, which is now the Tour of Britain. This was his first big stage race. In October, he competed in the 1999 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin. He came fifth in the team pursuit and tenth in the Madison with his partner Rob Hayles. This helped them qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. At the Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the team pursuit. In October 2000, he won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester.
Professional Cycling Journey
Early Years (2001–2004)
In 2001, Bradley Wiggins joined the Linda McCartney Racing Team, a British professional road cycling team. But the team soon closed down. He then raced for the British national team. He won the overall title in the Cinturón a Mallorca and Flèche du Sud. In September, he crashed and hurt his right wrist. Two weeks later, he competed at the 2001 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and won another silver medal in the team pursuit.
In 2002, he joined the French team Française des Jeux. He moved to Nantes, but he missed home. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, he won two silver medals in the individual pursuit and team pursuit. At the 2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen, he won a bronze medal in the team pursuit. He was not happy with his individual pursuit result. So, British Cycling asked the retired cyclist Chris Boardman to help him.
In May 2003, Wiggins raced in his first major Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia. He had to leave the race on the 18th stage because he finished too slowly. In the summer, he competed in the 2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Stuttgart. He won his first senior world title in the individual pursuit, beating Luke Roberts from Australia. He also won a silver medal in the team pursuit. In September, he won a stage in the Tour de l'Avenir. In November, he won the Six Days of Ghent with Matthew Gilmore.
Wiggins joined Crédit Agricole for the 2004 season. He trained for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He won the gold medal in the individual pursuit, setting an Olympic record. He also won a silver medal in the team pursuit. Then, he won a bronze medal in the Madison with Rob Hayles. He became the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals at one Olympic Games. In December 2004, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to sport.
Road Cycling Focus (2005–2007)
In 2005, Bradley Wiggins decided to focus more on road cycling. In April, he won a time trial stage in the Circuit de Lorraine. In September, he won his first road race stage since 2001 at the Tour de l'Avenir. He finished 123rd overall in the Giro d'Italia. He came seventh in the time trial at the road world championships. He joined Cofidis for the 2006 season and raced in his first Tour de France, finishing 124th.
In March 2007, Wiggins returned to the track for the 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. He won gold in the individual pursuit and the team pursuit. He finished 13th in the Madison.
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On the road, he won a stage at the Four Days of Dunkirk and the prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. He then competed in the 2007 Tour de France. On stage six, he rode alone at the front for a long time. This was seen as a tribute to British rider Tom Simpson, who died 40 years earlier during the Tour. Wiggins won the stage's combativity award for being the most aggressive rider.
He continued racing for Cofidis. In August, he won a time trial stage at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes. In September, he won the Duo Normand, a two-man team time trial, with Michiel Elijzen. His road season ended at the 2007 UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart, where he came tenth in the time trial.
In September, he signed with T-Mobile Team for the 2008 season. He joined fellow British cyclist Mark Cavendish, hoping to form a strong team for the Madison. Their first race together was the Six Days of Ghent in November. Wiggins also won a gold medal in the individual pursuit at a World Cup event in Beijing.
Back to the Track (2008)
In 2008, Bradley Wiggins focused on track cycling and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He decided not to race in the Tour de France. In February, he trained in the United States and raced in the 2008 Tour of California, finishing second in the prologue.
In March, Wiggins competed at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester. He successfully defended his individual pursuit title, winning his third world title in that event. He then won the team pursuit, setting a new world record. He also won the Madison with Mark Cavendish. They used smart tactics to win the gold medal.
Wiggins then rode in the 2008 Tour de Romandie and the 2008 Giro d'Italia to prepare for the Olympics. At the Giro, he helped Mark Cavendish win two stages.
At the Olympics, he defended his individual pursuit title, setting a new Olympic record. He won gold, becoming the first rider to successfully defend an Olympic pursuit title. He was also part of the team pursuit squad that broke the world record twice and won the gold medal. He raced in the Madison with Cavendish, but they only finished ninth.
In September, Wiggins joined the American team Garmin–Slipstream for the 2009 season. In December, he came ninth in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. He was also part of the British cycling team that won the Team of the Year Award. In December, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Tour de France Breakthrough (2009)
In 2009, Bradley Wiggins shifted his focus to road cycling. He moved with his family to Girona, Spain, where his new team Garmin–Slipstream was based. He started the season by helping his team win a team time trial in the Tour of Qatar. In March, he finished second in a time trial at Paris–Nice. He also had good results in other races like Critérium International and the Three Days of De Panne. He then raced in classic one-day races like Gent–Wevelgem and Paris–Roubaix. After racing in the Giro d'Italia, he won the Beaumont Trophy, a local race, to prepare for the Tour de France.
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Wiggins had lost weight for the Tour de France and was nicknamed "Twiggo." He started strong, finishing third in the opening time trial. He helped his team to second place in the team time trial. He was in fifth place overall after the first week. On a mountain stage, he moved up to third place overall. He finished the Tour in fourth place, which was the highest finish ever for a British rider at the time. In 2012, after another rider's results were cancelled, Wiggins was officially moved up to third place. This made him the first British rider to finish on the podium of the Tour de France.
In September, Wiggins won the British National Time Trial Championships. At the road world championships, he was on track for a bronze medal in the time trial, but a bike problem caused him to finish 21st. He ended the season by winning the Herald Sun Tour in Australia.
Wiggins had a contract with Garmin Slipstream for 2010. But on 10 December, it was announced that he would join the new British team, Team Sky, on a four-year contract.
Joining Team Sky (2010)
In 2010, Bradley Wiggins became a team leader for the first time. His main goal was to win the Tour de France. In February, he helped his team win the opening team time trial of the Tour of Qatar. He then took second place in a time trial at the Vuelta a Andalucía. In March, he finished third overall at the Vuelta a Murcia.
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In May, Wiggins won his first Grand Tour stage in Amsterdam, winning the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia. He became the second British rider to wear the pink jersey. However, crashes and physical issues caused him to lose time and finish 40th overall. He later admitted he was not physically fit during the race.
He then went to a training camp in the Alps to prepare for the Tour de France. He started the Tour poorly. On stage eight, the first mountain finish, he lost a lot of time. He continued to struggle and finished the Tour in 24th place. Later, his position was upgraded to 23rd.
He returned to racing in August at the GP Ouest–France. In September, he won the national time trial championships again. He ended his season at the Giro di Lombardia, where he had to stop after a crash. Over the winter, he trained with the Great Britain squad.
Dauphiné and Vuelta Success (2011)
Bradley Wiggins continued as team leader for Team Sky in 2011. He decided not to race in the Giro d'Italia. Instead, he focused on shorter races and altitude training for the Tour de France. He started his season in February at the Tour of Qatar. He also won the team pursuit at a World Cup event in Manchester. In March, he finished second in a time trial at the Paris–Nice and third overall. In April, he raced in Paris–Roubaix and the Tour de Romandie. In May, he won a time trial stage at the Bayern Rundfahrt.
He then went for altitude training in the Alps. He took the overall lead in the Critérium du Dauphiné after finishing second in a time trial. He kept his lead through the mountain stages and won the race. This was his biggest road victory at the time. In June, Wiggins won the national road race championship. However, on the seventh stage of the Tour de France, a crash forced him to leave the race with a broken collarbone.
After recovering, Team Sky confirmed that Wiggins would race in the Vuelta a España for the first time. He also planned to race in the road world championships. The Vuelta and world championships were seen as practice for 2012. He had a tough start to the Vuelta, but a strong first week brought him back into contention. On stage nine, Wiggins and teammate Chris Froome attacked and gained time on their rivals. Wiggins was expected to take the lead the next day, but Froome finished second in the time trial, and Wiggins only rose to third overall. He eventually took the lead after a rest day. Wiggins finished the Vuelta in third place, his first podium finish in a Grand Tour. In 2019, he was moved up to second place after another rider was disqualified.
In September, he competed in the road world championships in Copenhagen. He won the silver medal in the time trial. Four days later, he helped the Great Britain team set up Mark Cavendish's victory in the road race.
Tour de France and Olympic Gold (2012)
In 2012, Bradley Wiggins continued to focus on road racing. He started his season with third place in the Volta ao Algarve, winning the final time trial.
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In March, Wiggins finished second in the opening time trial of the Paris–Nice. The next day, he took the lead in the race. He held the lead for the rest of the event, winning the final time trial stage. He won the race overall, becoming the first British rider to win it since Tom Simpson in 1967. He also won the points classification.
In April, Wiggins won a rare sprint victory on stage one of the Tour de Romandie. He lost the leader's jersey for a bit but won the final time trial to take the overall victory. He became the first Briton to win this race in its 65-year history.
In June, Wiggins competed in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He started by finishing second in the prologue. He took the overall lead the next day. Wiggins won the fourth stage, a time trial, extending his lead. He held the lead to the end, winning the race by over a minute.
Wiggins entered the Tour de France as one of the favorites. He started with second place in the prologue. He took over the yellow jersey on stage seven, becoming the fifth British rider to wear it. Wiggins won the time trial on stage nine. On stage ten, he and his team stopped an attack by another rider, Vincenzo Nibali. Wiggins extended his lead on stage 11 with help from Chris Froome.
During stage fourteen, a spectator threw tacks onto the road, causing several riders, including defending champion Cadel Evans, to get flat tires. Wiggins and his team were not affected. However, Wiggins showed great sportsmanship by having his teammates slow down. This allowed Evans and other affected cyclists to catch up. People called him "Le Gentleman" for this kind act. Wiggins won the time trial on stage 19, giving him a big lead before the final stage. On the last stage, Wiggins helped his teammate Mark Cavendish win his fourth straight victory on the Champs-Élysées. Wiggins confirmed his own overall victory, becoming the first person to win the Paris–Nice, the Tour de Romandie, the Critérium du Dauphiné, and the Tour de France all in one season.
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Wiggins was chosen for two road cycling events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He finished 103rd in the road race. But he won gold in the time trial, beating Tony Martin of Germany and Chris Froome of Britain. With this, he became the most decorated British Olympian with seven medals, passing Sir Steve Redgrave. This record was soon shared with Sir Chris Hoy. Wiggins also entered the Guinness World Records as the first cyclist to win an Olympic gold medal and the Tour de France in the same year.
Wiggins returned to racing at the 2012 Tour of Britain in September but had to pull out due to illness. In October, he received the prestigious Vélo d'Or trophy for his achievements in 2012. In December, he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. He was knighted in 2013 for his services to cycling.
Giro d'Italia and Tour of Britain (2013)
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Many people thought Wiggins would try to win the Tour de France again in 2013. However, he said his main goal for the season would be the Giro d'Italia. After that, he would support his teammate Chris Froome in the Tour de France. In April, he mentioned he still hoped to win another Tour and even achieve the Tour and Giro double.
Wiggins started his season in February at the Tour of Oman. He helped Chris Froome, who won the race overall. Wiggins decided not to defend his title at the Paris–Nice. Instead, he went to a training camp in Tenerife. He returned to racing in March at the Volta a Catalunya, finishing fifth overall.
In April, Wiggins raced in the Giro del Trentino to prepare for the Giro d'Italia. He led his team to victory in the team time trial. He finished the race in fifth place.
Wiggins was one of the favorites for the 2013 Giro d'Italia. Team Sky won the stage two team time trial. However, Wiggins lost time on stage four due to a crash. On a wet stage seven, Wiggins crashed again and lost more time. He later revealed he was suffering from a chest infection. He had to leave the race the next day.
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A knee injury was announced on 31 May, which meant Wiggins could not defend his Tour de France title. He even suggested he might never ride the Tour again. He returned to racing at the Tour de Pologne, winning a time trial stage.
In September, Wiggins led Team Sky at his home race, the Tour of Britain. He won a time trial stage and held the lead for the rest of the week to win the race for the first time. The next week, at the world championships, he won the silver medal in the time trial.
World Time Trial Champion and Track Return (2014)
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Bradley Wiggins said his main goals for 2014 were the Paris–Roubaix race, the Tour of California, and the road world championships. He also planned to support Chris Froome in the Tour de France.
Wiggins raced in the Tour of Flanders and finished 32nd. He then competed in Paris–Roubaix for the first time since 2011. He finished ninth, his only top ten finish in a major classic race.
At the Tour of California, Wiggins won the time trial on stage two by a large margin. He took the overall lead and kept it for the rest of the race. Despite this, he was not chosen for the Tour de France. This led him to return to track cycling to prepare for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
At the Commonwealth Games in July, Wiggins won a silver medal in the 4000m team pursuit. The next day, he announced that he was "done with the road" for Grand Tours. He wanted to focus on preparing for the team pursuit at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
In September, Wiggins rode the Tour of Britain. He won the final time trial in London and finished third overall in the race. Wiggins then won a gold medal in the time trial at the world road championships in Spain.
Paris–Roubaix, Team WIGGINS, and Hour Record (2015)
In January 2015, it was confirmed that Bradley Wiggins would stay with Team Sky until April 2015. His main goal was to win Paris–Roubaix. After that, he would move to his new team, WIGGINS, to prepare for the team pursuit at the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was also announced that he would try to break the hour record in 2015. In March, he confirmed he would race with his new team at the first Tour de Yorkshire in May.
Early in the season, Wiggins raced in the Tour of Qatar. He finished third in the individual time trial stage. He then took part in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race.
Wiggins returned to Paris–Nice, a race he had won in 2012. He finished 12th in the opening time trial. He later withdrew from the race before the final mountain time trial.
Wiggins was supposed to race in E3 Harelbeke in March, but he withdrew. Instead, he raced in Gent–Wevelgem two days later, but he had to abandon the race due to bad weather. During the Three Days of De Panne race, Wiggins helped his team's sprinter. He then convincingly won the final time trial stage.
At Paris–Roubaix, Wiggins's last race with Team Sky, he finished 18th. He attacked with 30 km (18.6 mi) left but was caught by the main group. A few days later, it was announced that Wiggins would try to break the hour record on 7 June. He raced in the Tour de Yorkshire with Team Wiggins but did not get a significant result. On 7 June 2015, Bradley Wiggins broke the hour record, riding 54.526 km (33.881 mi). He beat the previous record by more than 3%.
On 16 August, Wiggins raced on the track with Mark Cavendish for the first time since the 2008 Olympics. They won the Madison event. In October, Wiggins won his first gold medal at the European track championships as part of the British team pursuit squad.
Fifth Olympic Gold and Retirement (2016)
Bradley Wiggins competed at the world championships in London. He won two medals. In the team pursuit, his team won silver. Wiggins said he was happy with his performance. He then raced with Mark Cavendish in the madison. They won their second world title together in this event.
In spring 2016, Wiggins focused on training for the Olympics. He raced in only a few road events. As part of the five-man team pursuit squad, Wiggins was reportedly breaking world records in training. The team pursuit squad set the fastest time in qualification for the Olympics. They then reached the final with a new world record time. In the final, Great Britain beat Australia, giving Wiggins his eighth Olympic medal and fifth gold.
After the Olympics, Wiggins announced he planned to retire after the Six Days of Ghent in November. He also planned to expand his activities in supporting and running Team Wiggins. In his second-to-last race, the Six Days of London, Wiggins finished second with Cavendish. Then, they won his final event, the Six Days of Ghent. After the event, Wiggins confirmed it was his last race with Cavendish. On 28 December 2016, he officially announced his retirement from professional cycling. He said, "2016 is the end of the road for this chapter, onwards and upwards, 'feet on the ground, head in the clouds' kids from Kilburn don't win Olympic Golds and Tour de Frances! They do now."
Personal Life and Interests
Family
Bradley Wiggins was married to Catherine Cockram, whom he met in 2002. They have two children, Ben and Isabella. Ben is also a racing cyclist and has had success at the junior level. Their family lived in Eccleston, Lancashire.
Bradley had a difficult relationship with his father, Gary Wiggins. His father left the family when Bradley was two years old and did not contact him for 14 years. Bradley only knew his father had been a professional cyclist. They first met in 1999 when Bradley was at a training camp in Australia. They met again the next year. Gary Wiggins passed away in 2008.
Interests
Wiggins is known for being a mod and collects classic motor scooters and guitars from the 1960s and 1970s. He loves music and plays the guitar. In December 2012, he made a surprise appearance at a Paul Weller charity concert, playing guitar. They also recorded a special for BBC Radio 6 Music where they talked about their love for music and mod culture. He supports Liverpool Football Club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club. In 2012, Wigan Warriors gave him a life membership, which he said was his highlight of the year.
In July 2012, it was announced that Wiggins would work with the Fred Perry clothing label. They would create a range of cycling-inspired clothing. This clothing line, called the Bradley Wiggins X Fred Perry Collaboration, launched in July 2012.
In 2012, Wiggins started the Bradley Wiggins Foundation. Its goal was to encourage people to get involved in sports and exercise. The foundation supported a professional women's cycling team. However, in February 2015, Wiggins announced that the Foundation would close down as he prepared for the 2016 Olympics.
On 10 May 2015, Wiggins was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. His favorite song was "Sound and Vision" by David Bowie. His book choice was Slaying the Dragon by Michael Johnson. His luxury item was a family photo album.
Wiggins was a guest editor for Radio 4's The Today Programme on 29 December 2015. He interviewed fashion designer Paul Smith and former sportsman Gary Lineker. He also discussed cycling with Jeremy Corbyn and Steve Hilton.
In 2019, he shared in The Times that he enjoys Only Fools And Horses and Chas and Dave. He also said he is "not really a reader" and does not love art or theatre.
In August 2019, Wiggins announced he wanted to become a social worker. He started studying for a degree at the Open University. He said his upbringing gave him "mental toughness" that would help him support others. He also said he felt "detached" from his cycling career.
Other Public Appearances
At the 2012 Olympics, Wiggins rang the Olympic Bell to start the opening ceremony inside the Olympic Stadium.
Wiggins has written several books about his career. His first book, In Pursuit of Glory, was published in 2008. It covered his track cycling success up to the Beijing Olympics. He also wrote On Tour in 2010. After his success in 2012, he published The Bradley Wiggins Opus and My Time. My Story was published in 2013 as a simpler version for younger readers. In 2015, he added My Hour, about his hour record attempt. In 2018, he wrote Icons, which talks about riders who inspired him.
In March 2014, Wiggins appeared as himself in an episode of BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers for a charity appeal. Two years later, he appeared in a comedy sketch with Michael Crawford for Sport Relief 2016.
A sculpture inspired by Wiggins was unveiled in 2014 at St Augustine's CE High School, his old school.
In January 2017, it was announced that Wiggins would be on the Channel 4 winter sports reality TV show The Jump. However, he had to leave the show early after breaking his leg during training.
In June 2017, Wiggins revealed he had started rowing seriously. He was coached by fellow Olympic champion James Cracknell. He planned to compete in the British Indoor Rowing Championships in December 2017. He finished 21st in the elite 2000m race.
In 2018, Wiggins launched The Bradley Wiggins Show, a cycling podcast with Eurosport. It covered the Tour de France and was very popular. The show was renewed for more episodes the next year. He also started working as a cycling expert for the channel.
In July 2019, Comedy Central announced a new game show called Gods of the Game, hosted by Wiggins. It featured public members competing against famous athletes in funny versions of their sports.
Images for kids
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Wiggins began track cycling at the age of 12, at Herne Hill Velodrome, pictured in 2009.
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Manchester Velodrome, pictured in 2010, where Wiggins won two silver medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
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Wiggins finished fourth in the prologue of the 2007 Tour de France in London, riding in his second season for Cofidis.
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Mark Cavendish (foreground) handing over to Wiggins, on their way to winning gold in the Madison at the 2008 track world championships in Manchester.
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Wiggins finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France (later promoted to third after Lance Armstrong's results were annulled in 2012), riding for Garmin–Slipstream. Pictured on stage 17, riding the Col de la Colombière.
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Wiggins wearing the leader's pink jersey, following his win in opening time trial of the 2010 Giro d'Italia – his first win in a Grand Tour, riding in his first season for Team Sky.
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Wiggins in the yellow jersey, finishing the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, to take his first overall victory in a major stage race.
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Wiggins riding the time trial on the final stage of the 2012 Paris–Nice, which he won, claiming the general classification.
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Wiggins in yellow, on his way to victory in the 2012 Tour de France in the ceremonial stage in Paris.
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Wiggins won gold in the time trial at the 2012 Summer Olympics, becoming Great Britain's most decorated Olympian with seven medals – four of them gold.
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Wiggins at the 2013 Giro d'Italia team's presentation
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Wiggins wearing the leader's jersey at the 2013 Tour of Britain
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Wiggins after the 2014 Paris–Roubaix, where he placed ninth
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Wiggins in the world champions rainbow skinsuit at the 2015 Paris–Nice
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Wiggins during his successful hour record attempt on 7 June 2015
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Wiggins (far left) with the British team pursuit squad at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
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Wiggins has helped design a range of clothing with mod label Fred Perry.
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Wiggins rang the Olympic Bell to mark the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
See also
In Spanish: Bradley Wiggins para niños
