Bradley Wiggins revealed his son Ben’s fears he would be found dead in the morning as the British cycling legend opened up about his addiction to cocaine.
The Tour de France champion and five-time Olympic gold medallist revealed earlier this year that he had struggled with a drug addiction following his retirement from the sport in 2016.
Wiggins has now admitted he had become a ‘functioning addict’ and had been doing ‘s***loads of cocaine’.
The 45-year-old explained how his children Isabella and Ben, who is part of the British Cycling set-up, had tried to put him into rehab having become concerned over his addiction.
‘There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,’ Wiggins told the Observer. ‘I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise. I was high most of the time for many years.
‘I was doing s***loads of cocaine. I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope.
Bradley Wiggins revealed his son Ben, right, had been fearful he would be found dead due to his battle with a cocaine addiction
Wiggins revealed he had been doing ‘s***loads of cocaine’ and became a functioning addict following his retirement from cycling
Wiggins fame peaked in 2012 after becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de France, but has been open about his struggles following his retirement from the sport
‘I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here. I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years.
‘I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. I was not the person I wanted to be. I realised I was hurting a lot of people around me.’
Wiggins revealed he quit his addiction a year ago without receiving external assistance.
The 45-year-old had risen to the peak of his fame in 2012 when he became the first British rider to win the Tour de France.
Wiggins, who won five Olympic gold medals from 2004 to 2016, had reportedly built at £13million fortune at the peak of his fame.
However, last year, a company controlled by Wiggins was reported to have debts totalling around £1million.
After failing his individual voluntary agreement (IVA) to pay back the money he owed, was declared bankrupt.
The star was reportedly left homeless and was said to have been sleeping at various addresses including that of his ex-wife, and was believed to have come close to selling his Olympic medals.
Wiggins revealed disgraced cycling Lance Armstrong had checked in on his well-being amid his battle with addiction, with the American having also offered him financial support
The cycling legend was declared bankrupt last June, but stated earlier this year that his debts have been settled
In 2022, Wiggins had revealed he was sexually assaulted by a coach between the ages of 13 and 16.
Wiggins has since said disgraced former cycling Lance Armstrong has come to his aid in recent years.
The American, who was stripped out his seven Tour de France title after confessing to doping during his career, reportedly offered to help Wiggins amid his struggles with addiction.
Wiggins claimed Armstrong had recognised similar issues to those experienced by German cyclist Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France champion, who had been a major rival to the American.
Armstrong reportedly helped Ullrich through his own recovery from addiction and sought to provide similar assistance to Wiggins.
The 53-year-old had regularly contacted Wiggins’ son Ben to check in on his father.
Wiggins last year revealed how Armstrong had offered him financial support, an offer he has since accepted.
Wiggins had reportedly built a fortune of around £13million at the height of his fame
He earned five Olympic gold medals during across five Games from 2004 through to 2016
Wiggins fronted a campaign in 2023 to help people spot the signs of child abuse, having previously revealed he had been sexually abused by a coach
‘Lance has helped me a lot over the years and even more this year,’ Wiggins told the The High Performance Podcast last year.
‘He wants to pay for me to go to a specialised centre in Atlanta. You stay there for a week and they take your phone away.
‘Lance is a good man… And I’m not saying that to condone what he did, we all know that. But it’s a little bit disproportionate to what some people do in this world.
‘He has a heart deep down.’
