Bradley Wiggins: Childhood abuse helped make me a great cyclist

Bradley Wiggins working as a pundit
Bradley Wiggins working as a pundit (Image credit: Getty Images)

Bradley Wiggins has argued that the abuse he suffered as a child contributed to his success as a professional cyclist, acknowledging a contradiction in the way that such instances of adversity can drive people to 'greatness'.

Wiggins, who was a multiple Olympic champion on the track and winner of the 2012 Tour de France, revealed last year that he had been groomed by a cycling coach when he was an early teenager. 

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.