Former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins has spoken openly about his struggle with cocaine addiction following his retirement from professional cycling.
In an interview, the 45-year-old British cyclist revealed that his drug use became overwhelming after stepping away from the sport. He described himself as a “functioning addict,” saying he was high much of the time for several years without people noticing. His addiction became so serious that his son feared he might not make it through the night.
Wiggins, who won gold medals at four consecutive Olympic Games beginning in 2004 and made history as the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France in 2012, retired from competition in 2016. In a previous interview, he shared that he had been sexually groomed by a coach at the age of 13, an experience he believes contributed to the personal challenges he later faced.
In his soon-to-be-released memoir, The Chain, Wiggins describes how his post-retirement life spiraled into debt and substance abuse. He called his drug use a form of self-harm and self-sabotage, driven by deep self-hatred. “It was not the person I wanted to be,” he admitted. “I realized I was hurting a lot of people around me.”
Now a year into recovery, Wiggins says he’s grateful to still be alive and is working to move forward.
