Bradley Wiggins has opened up on his post-retirement struggles, as the cycling legend detailed his drug addiction battle and the financial issues which declared him bankrupt in June last year.
Wiggins, who won a previous national record eight Olympic medals, was one of the greatest cyclists ever produced by Great Britain, winning titles on both the track and the road across his career.
Despite his success on the track, though, a company controlled by Wiggins was reported to have debts totalling around £1million, and after failing his individual voluntary agreement (IVA) to pay back the money he owed, was declared bankrupt.
The former cyclist was reportedly left homeless and said to be sleeping at various addresses including that of his ex-wife, and was believed to have come close to selling his Olympic medals.
As well as his financial issues, Wiggins has also had his own mental health battle, struggling with drinking after his new-found fame early in his career, and revealing he was sexually abused as a teenager by a coach.
The Tour de France winner has now opened up on these personal struggles, revealing he also struggled with a drug addiction after his retirement. However, Wiggins insists he is ‘in a good place’ at the moment, and that his debts have been settled.
Bradley Wiggins has opened up on his drug addiction and bankruptcy issues after retirement
Wiggins was the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, achieving the feat back in 2012
But it has been rough going for the cycling great in his personal life since his retirement in 2016
‘The contradiction is that the coach who abused me was my first male role model in cycling,’ he told The Telegraph.
‘I had grown up with an absent father, and so this man instilled a confidence in me as a bike rider. Wherever he went, he would tell everyone: ‘This kid’s going to be special.’
‘It kind of offset what was going on behind the scenes. There were other kids at the club it was happening to as well. We were normalised to the behaviour, made to feel there was nothing wrong with it.
‘You’re only 13, but it leads to a really dark period. Within three years of retiring in 2016, I was a drug addict. And a lot of it was to do with this recall of my childhood.’
Wiggins went on to discuss his financial difficulties, and attributed the issues to him allowing others to ‘take advantage’ of him during his cycling career.
He added: ‘I regret I never paid attention to my financial affairs when I was racing. It’s one of the things that happens to athletes – you make a lot of money and, if you haven’t got your eyes on it, people take advantage. I was getting ripped off left, right and centre by the people looking after me. Accountants as well.’
However, the 44-year-old then went on to clarify that the his debts have have been settled and that he is back on an upwards trajectory in life.
He said: ‘It’s all resolved now. I’m on the front foot now. This was something that was done to me. Eight months on, it has all turned around. The people who are responsible are paying a heavy price for it. Fortunately, it’s all good. My life’s in a good place.’
Wiggins was previously declared bankrupt but revealed he has now cleared £2million of debt
The Brit won five gold medals during his Olympic career, featuring at five different Games
Wiggins – who became the first Brit to win the Tour de France in 2012 and was knighted in 2013 – was said to be ‘sofa-surfing’ in June after the £975,000 barn he once shared with his ex-wife Cath and their children had been repossessed by a building society and sold.
‘I’m in this situation now but because of the mess that’s been created,’ admitted Wiggins – who was once worth £13m.
‘It has been rumbling on for quite a few years now, this hasn’t just happened overnight.’
In September 2024, Wiggins went on his first bike ride ‘in nearly three years’ and offered fans the chance to join him on a 50-mile route across Staffordshire at the cost of £50 per person.
