Sir Bradley Wiggins, the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France and a five-time Olympic gold medallist, has openly shared his harrowing experience with cocaine addiction following his retirement in 2016. The 45-year-old revealed that for years, as a “functioning addict,” he lived in fear of being found dead by his own children.
In his upcoming autobiography, The Chain, Wiggins candidly recounts his descent into addiction and crippling debt after stepping away from professional cycling. He described the constant fear of his son finding him lifeless, stating:
“I was high most of the time for many years.”
He explicitly detailed the severity of his drug use, admitting:
“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.”
Wiggins acknowledged a profound personal realization that prompted him to quit a year ago, recognizing he was fortunate to be alive. He attributed his struggles to a long history of self-inflicted choices, fueled by existing self-hatred which escalated into self-harm and self-sabotage, ultimately hurting those closest to him.
From Peak Performance to Financial Crisis
Despite accumulating millions during his illustrious career, which included five Olympic golds between 2004 and 2016 and the historic Tour de France victory in 2012, Wiggins faced severe financial distress. A company under his control amassed £1 million in debt, leading to his bankruptcy in June 2024. At one point, he reportedly considered selling his Olympic medals to alleviate his financial woes.
Wiggins also connected his struggles to a past trauma, revealing in 2022 that he was sexually groomed by a former coach at the age of 13.
Unexpected Support from Lance Armstrong
Crucially, while he initially quit his addiction without professional help, Wiggins disclosed he has since received support from an unlikely source: disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. Armstrong, who admitted to widespread doping in 2013, had previously aided fellow former rival Jan Ullrich in overcoming his own addictions and has now extended that support to Wiggins.
Armstrong`s concern for Wiggins had been long-standing. Wiggins shared that Armstrong, unable to locate him directly, communicated through his son:
“My son speaks to Lance a lot. He`d ask my son, `How`s your Dad?` Ben would say, `I`ve not heard from him for a couple of weeks, I know he`s living in a hotel.`”
Wiggins emphasized the difficulty of his path to recovery, explaining his inability to moderate his consumption. “There`s no middle ground for me. I can`t just have a glass of wine. If I have a glass of wine, then I`m buying drugs,” he admitted, concluding that his predisposition to addiction served as a means to alleviate his enduring pain.
