$5 Million
What is Bradley Wiggins’ Net Worth?
Bradley Wiggins is a British professional road and track racing cyclist who has a net worth of $5 million dollars. Born in Ghent, Belgium, Bradley Wiggins began racing bikes when he was in elementary school, and won a Bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in team pursuit. Four years later, he would make history, becoming the first British athlete to win four medals at a single Olympics in 40 years, when he won a Gold medal, a Silver medal, and a Bronze medal. After spending much of his career focusing on individual pursuit and team pursuit racing, he has begun to focus more of his energy on road racing in recent years.
The transition has been slightly rocky, but he has made appreciable headway since 2010. He has won 1 stage at the Giro d’Italia, 2 stages at the Tour de France, stage races at the Criterum de Dauphine, and Tour de Romandie, and he was National Road Race Champion in 2011. In 2016 he won a Gold medal at the Olympics in Brazil.
Biography
Bradley Wiggins began his cycling career on the track and then transitioned to road cycling. His versatile prowess led him to win world titles across four disciplines and Olympic gold in three. He is notably the only cyclist to have won both World and Olympic championships on track and road, as well as the Tour de France. His unique achievements include leading in all three Grand Tours and multiple world records in team pursuit. His Olympic successes spanned four consecutive Games, culminating in becoming Great Britain’s most decorated Olympian until 2021.
Early Career and Transition to Road Cycling
Wiggins’s early years were on the track, securing ten medals at the world championships, including six golds. After earning his first Olympic medal in Sydney 2000, he continued to garner Olympic success in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. Transitioning to road cycling in 2001, he focused on this discipline from 2008. Known initially as a time trial specialist, he proved his stage race abilities with a notable performance in the 2009 Tour de France. He joined Team Sky in 2010, winning the Critérium du Dauphiné and earning a podium finish in the Vuelta a España.
Tour de France and Olympic Success
In 2012, Wiggins achieved a historic double, winning the Tour de France and an Olympic gold within a week. He also won the Paris–Nice, the Tour de Romandie, and the Critérium du Dauphiné that year. He continued to build his legacy with a world championship in the time trial in 2014 and founded the WIGGINS cycling team. Returning to track cycling, he set a new hour record in 2015 and won another world championship in the madison. His Olympic journey concluded with a team pursuit gold in Rio 2016, and he retired in December that year.
Honours and Allegations
Knighted for his services to cycling, Wiggins was celebrated post-2012 with numerous accolades, including the Vélo d’Or and BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Controversy touched his career with allegations of exploiting anti-doping rules, but he faced no sanctions. The 2018 report from the British House of Commons accused Team Sky of using triamcinolone to enhance performance, but within WADA rules.
Early Life and Amateur Career
Born to an Australian cyclist father in Belgium, Wiggins was raised in London. His father left when he was young, and he was brought up by his mother and her partner. His early passion for football transitioned to cycling, influenced by his father’s success and Chris Boardman’s Olympic victory. Wiggins began his track cycling at Herne Hill Velodrome and entered his first race at 12. He received domestic sponsorship and represented Westminster in the London Youth Games. At 16, he was winning junior national track championships, leading to international competition and eventually a junior track world championship in Cuba. He represented England at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and became a full-time athlete, funded by the National Lottery. His senior career blossomed with an Olympic bronze in Sydney and a silver medal at the track world championships in Manchester.
Family Life
Bradley Wiggins married Catherine, whom he had first met in 1997 as juniors and reconnected with during the 2002 Commonwealth Games. They have three children: Ben, Rebekah, and Isabella. Ben has followed in his father’s cycling footsteps, achieving junior success, including winning at the European Track Championships and a silver medal at the Road World Championships. The family resided in Eccleston, Lancashire, near the Manchester Velodrome. In May 2020, Bradley and Catherine announced their separation.
Wiggins had a strained relationship with his father, Gary Wiggins, who had been absent since Bradley was two. Their sporadic encounters revealed Gary’s personal struggles, and they never reconciled before Gary’s death in 2008.
Personal Interests
Wiggins is a noted mod enthusiast, with collections of scooters and guitars from the 1960s and 1970s. He is a musician himself, having performed alongside Paul Weller. A sports fan, he supports Liverpool Football Club and Wigan Warriors. His collaboration with Fred Perry led to a clothing range, and he founded the Bradley Wiggins Foundation to promote sports participation.
Academic Pursuit
In 2019, Wiggins revealed plans to study social work at the Open University, citing his tough upbringing as a source of resilience and a desire to support others.
Other Facts
Fluent in French from his time with French teams, Wiggins’s life post-Olympics included struggles with alcohol, which he overcame with the birth of his son. He also rang the Olympic Bell at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
Publications and Media
Wiggins authored several books about his career and has appeared in various media roles, including guest editing Radio 4’s The Today Programme and being interviewed on Desert Island Discs.
Physical Attributes
His athletic capabilities include a power output of over 450 watts at the anaerobic threshold.
