Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins has detailed the sexual abuse he experienced as a youngster. He graduated from cycling.
“It happened over a three-year period. I can’t remember how many times. We talk from small incidents to near rape, sexual abuse, whatever you want to call it,” the 42-year-old said on the podcast “Happy Place”. For the first time, the Briton reported last year about the abuse he had suffered from a trainer.
Now the 2012 Tour winner went into more detail about his experiences from the age of 12. “My greatest shame was that a man had done this to me. I could not comprehend this abnormality, especially at the age of 13”, said Wiggins. “From that moment on, I pretended none of that had happened and dedicated my life to cycling as a distraction.” At that time he could not confide in anyone. When he ended his cycling career at the age of 36, the memories came flooding back.
Wiggins: Cycling ‘took almost everything’ from me
Wiggins has now finished cycling and no longer works as a TV expert. “I would be nothing without cycling, it gave me everything. But at the same time it took almost everything from me”, said the Olympic champion.
“I think all of my success comes from misfortune and running away from the problems in my life. I guess that’s the difference between being good at something and being great at it.” Today he feels like a freer person who doesn’t have to chase after anything anymore.