Jane McGowan chats to cycling superstar Sir Bradley Wiggins as he prepares to hit the road with his new stage show...
Sir Bradley Wiggins, the first Briton to conquer the Tour de France, a multi-gold medal-winning Olympian, remembered forever relaxing on a throne at Hampton Court Palace after trashing the competition to take time trial gold at London 2012, has now firmly said goodbye to the bike. Opting instead to travel the nation’s theatres for his one man show: Bradley Wiggins - An Evening With, which arrives at the New Wimbledon Theatre this month.
“It’s a chance for people to see who I am,” says the 39-year-old, father of two from north London. “As a professional rider, you’re a different person. Everything is about the sport and there is a lot of propaganda that goes with it. I wanted to meet people and be honest with them.”
Born in 1980 in Ghent, Belgium Bradley’s dad, the Australian cyclist Gary Wiggins walked out on his wife and son when the future champion was just two years old. The pair returned to London and by the age of 12, Bradley was telling his teachers he was going to be “an Olympic champion”.
“I grew up on a council estate and cycling wasn’t cool,” he says. “I think when Chris Boardman came on the scene that’s when the sport started to become mainstream. But I always loved it – the bikes, the technology, everything. I have quite a collection of memorabilia and stuff, some of which I take on the tour. For bike nerds like me, that’s probably the best bit.”
After competing on the road as a young amateur, Bradley began his career on the track, winning a clutch of world and Olympic medals. In 2001 he turned professional as a road cyclist, becoming one of the few riders in history to achieve top-level success in both disciplines. After becoming a major figure in the much-lauded Team Sky in 2010, his career reached its pinnacle in 2012, when he took the crown at the Tour de France, followed just weeks later by the Olympic gold. He announced his retirement from all professional cycling in 2016 – after another double win at the Brazil games earlier that year.
And while the cycling world mourned, Bradley has concentrated on building a new life for himself – he is currently studying for a degree in social work. Luckily for the fans, he is still happy to talk about his past successes and enviable career.
“I said yes to the [theatre] tour because I wanted to chat to people face to face,” he says. “It’s great to share stories and let people in. You don’t have to be as guarded anymore. I don’t really have a plan on stage, we just see where it goes and the audience can ask questions. But I have retired. That person is not me anymore and I don’t want to milk it.”
Better catch him while you can.
Bradley Wiggins – An Evening With is at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Oct 6. For tickets, visit: atgtickets.com
