Bradley Wiggins has admitted his son thought he’d take his own life over post-career troubles.
Wiggins, 44, cemented himself as a British sporting legend in 2012 when he became the first rider from these shores to win the Tour de France. However, back in June, it was reported the former Olympian was declared Bankrupt.
“There were some really extreme moments,” Wiggins opened up to the High Performance Podcast in an emotional interview. “Probably the last one was about a year ago without going into too much detail.
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“But I was in a very dark place in a very dark room for many days, and it was a hotel, and my son actually was the one who kind of intervened and made me realise, recognise the self-destructive mode I was in. There were a lot of reasons for that.”
Wiggins’ cycling career peaked with his Tour and Olympic success in 2012. He would leave Team Sky in 2015, after setting up his own, Team Wiggins – and would retire after one season with the outfit in 2016. It’s believed his money woes started in 2020, during a split from his wife Cath. He’s been forced to sell the majority of his medals and cycling gear.
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Alan Sellers, Wiggins lawyer, said: “It is a total mess. He’s lost absolutely everything. His home, his home in Majorca, his savings and investments.”
Wiggins would turn to an unlikely source, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, for help. The Texan has become a close friend of Wiggo and recently offered to pay for him to have therapy for the first time. Wiggins turned down the offer, but now thinks he’s in a good place and is ready to give it a go.
(Image: ESPN)
He said: “Lance, he’s helped me a lot in recent years – more so this year. We were talking about therapy, he wants to pay for me to go to this big place in Atlanta, where you go and stay for a week.
“He’s a good man. He did what he did, that’s not to condone what he did. He’s got a heart under there somewhere.”
Wiggins added: “In one of my darkest periods I smashed all my trophies off the mantelpiece because like ‘what are these things doing up here’?” But he’s now “proud” of the person he is becoming.
(Image: PA)
Ben Wiggins, 19, is an aspiring cycling himself. The former Tour de France champion has been snapped at the velodrome with his son – who won the Junior Madison World Championship with Matthew Brennan in 2023.
He’s now turning his attention to the road, signing with UCI Continental team Hagens Berman Jayco ahead of the 2024 season.