Britain’s Bradley Wiggins opens up about cocaine addiction

LONDON – Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins said he became addicted to cocaine after his cycling career and was “lucky to be here” after getting sober a year ago.

Wiggins, who retired from the sport in 2016, became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and collected a then-British-record eight Olympic medals, including gold in the time trial at the 2012 London Games.

In an interview with the Observer published on May 13, the 45-year-old spoke about how his drug use had affected his family.

“There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning. I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise. I was high most of the time for many years,” Wiggins said.

“I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope. 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.”

Wiggins also revealed that former cycling champion Lance Armstrong, who was involved in a doping scandal that led to him being stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles, had been helping him, adding: “My son speaks to Lance a lot.

“He’d ask my son, ‘How’s your dad?’ and Ben would say, ‘I’ve not heard from him for a couple of weeks, I know he’s living in a hotel’. They wouldn’t hear from me for days on end. I can talk about these things candidly now.”

In December last year, Wiggins said Armstrong had offered to fund his therapy for mental health issues.

Meanwhile, British cycling great Chris Hoy said on May 13 he had entered “a bit of a stability stage” in his cancer treatment and is appreciating life “more than ever”.

The six-time Olympic champion revealed in February 2024 he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, and said in October his diagnosis was terminal, with doctors telling him he had between two to four years to live.

“I’m doing well,” the 49-year-old Scot told Sky Sports News. “It feels like I’ve entered a bit of a stability stage at the moment and I’m feeling good, exercising, riding a bike, busy.

“Most importantly, cancer’s not the first thing I think about in the morning when I wake up and it’s not the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night.”

Hoy, whose wife Sarra has an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis, added: “I think we’ve got into a rhythm now where it’s part of our lives and we manage that and crack on.

“It feels like it’s been one of the busiest periods of my life, the last few months, just doing everything: fun stuff, family stuff, work, travel.

“I feel good. I’m on constant medications, constant treatment, but it’s not interfering too much with my life and the most important thing is it’s working, so I’m stable at the moment, everything’s good. Making hay while the sun shines.”

Hoy also won 11 world championship gold medals before he retired from competitive racing in 2013.

He was at the vanguard of Britain’s era of domination in track cycling, winning gold medals at the Athens, Beijing and London Olympics.

Until 2021, Hoy was the most successful British Olympian and the most successful Olympic cyclist of all time before being overtaken by fellow Briton Jason Kenny who claimed his seventh Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games.

“I can’t believe the position I’m in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I’d be able to get to this point where I’m actually living life,” said Hoy.

“And not just living life, but actually appreciating it more than ever and able to enjoy the little things.

It’s not just about doing bucket-list stuff and doing massive things, it’s about appreciating the daily, mundane fun of life.”
REUTERS, AFP