An 86-mile ride on Christmas Day – that’s just one of sacrifices a young Sir Bradley Wiggins made to chase his dream of becoming a professional cyclist.
As part of a BBC Radio 5 live documentary called Mind of a Cyclist, which will broadcast tonight, Wiggins sits down with fellow Olympic gold medalist Victoria Pendleton to examine the mental demands of the sport at the highest level
“I love the mundane part of the sport,” Wiggins says. “I love the romance of doing the training, which is the bit that no-one sees. That might be a 5am gym session or an 8am session in the velodrome before anyone else comes in.
“I've liked the feeling of being slightly ahead of the game and that goes back to being a kid. When I was 17, I rode from London to Rye on the south coast on Christmas Day where the family were staying at Pontins.
>>> Team Wiggins: jersey and full details revealed
“They drove and I rode the 86 miles. Nan was cooking Christmas dinner. I remember thinking the World Junior Championships were the following August and none of my competitors would be doing this on Christmas day.
“I loved the idea of it. That's my motivation.”
As well as exploring the mind of 2012 Tour de France winner Wiggins, Pendleton also interviews Sir Chris Hoy, Wendy Houvenaghel and former GB team psychiatrist Steve Peters.
You can listen to Mind of a Cyclist tonight (December 18) on BBC Radio 5 live at 20.00 GMT.
-
-
SunGod goes frameless with new Airas glasses
Another pair of SunGod glasses joins the ranks, this time with a minimlist frameless design
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan •
-
Amazon Prime Day cycling deals: The best discounts in 2021
This is the place to find the best Amazon Prime Day cycling deals, with great discounts on cycling shoes, GPS units, tires, helmets, sunglasses and much more!
By Cycling Weekly •
-
Sir Bradley Wiggins: I don’t like being defined as a cyclist
In an unconventional interview with The Times, the Tour de France winner says he would like a change of career
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Custom shoe designer gets an unexpected boost after Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins dons his kit
The Shoe Dr has done customised shoes for pros like Harry Tanfield but was still starstruck by the first British Tour winner
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Wiggins family winds up third company with debts of £141,000
Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins has seen a third company in his stable of businesses enter liquidation with debts of £141,000.
By Vern Pitt •
-
Bradley Wiggins liquidates businesses with debts of over £1m
Creditors expected to be left out of pocket as Team Wiggins company folds
By Vern Pitt •
-
Here are the top 10 hissy fits thrown by professional cyclists
When cyclists lose their temper, it can have comical outcomes
By Jack Elton-Walters •
-
Sir Bradley Wiggins says he convinced Team Sky not to drop Chris Froome in 2011
Sir Bradley Wiggins convinced Team Sky not to drop Chris Froome in 2011, the retired pro has revealed.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Chris Froome says he struggled to trust Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 Tour de France
Chris Froome said he struggled to trust Sir Bradley Wiggins as leader in the 2012 Tour de France.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
The nine best bike throws in the history of cycling
Cycling Weekly looks back at some of the most memorable bike throws of all time, from Bradley Wiggins's stylish Trentino effort to Dumoulin's hissy fit.
By Alex Ballinger •
