Bradley Wiggins
Encyclopedia
Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE
(born 28 April 1980) is a British
professional track
and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky
. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit
and madison
disciplines.
He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
, three further medals at the Athens
2004 Summer Olympics
, and two golds at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
. In road cycling he turned professional in 2002, but his involvement was limited by his track cycling until 2007.
After the 2008 Olympics Wiggins took a break from the track to focus on the road. Initially viewed as a time-trial specialist and a rouleur
, Wiggins showed his ability in stage races when he came in fourth at the 2009 Tour de France
, the joint highest placed finish by a British rider in Tour history. In 2010 he was hired as the leader for the new Team Sky
. To date his biggest win has been the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné
. Wiggins finished 3rd in the 2011 Vuelta a España
, becoming one of three British riders to make the podium in a Grand Tour. Ten days later, Wiggins won the silver medal in the Time Trial at the World Road Cycling Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wiggins was part of the Great Britain
team that helped Mark Cavendish
win the 2011 UCI World Road Race Championship
.
, Bradley Wiggins was born in Ghent
, Belgium
and spent his childhood in London with his mother Linda and younger brother, Ryan. He started racing at south London's Herne Hill Velodrome
aged 12. He lives in Eccleston
, Lancashire
. He married his wife Catherine in Manchester in November 2004 and has two children, Ben and Isabella. Wiggins is a well known mod, and owns a collection of classic scooters
and guitars from the Sixties and Seventies.
in Sydney.
In 2001 he signed for the British professional road Linda McCartney Racing Team
before it disbanded in early 2001. He joined in 2002, before moving to in 2004.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
, Wiggins became the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals at one Games, the last being Mary Rand
at the 1964 Olympic Games
in Tokyo. He won the gold in the pursuit, silver in the team pursuit, and bronze in the madison
with his race partner Rob Hayles
. Wiggins was appointed OBE in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to sport.
In 2005, Wiggins rode Giro d'Italia for . He moved to in 2006, and rode that year's Tour de France. He returned to the track for the Manchester round of the UCI World Cup and the world championships in 2007, winning the individual and team pursuit. He followed on the road by winning the prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.
He raced for Cofidis in the 2007 Tour de France
and finished fourth in the prologue in London. He won the combativity award on stage six for a long solo breakaway. Cofidis withdrew after Cristian Moreni
failed a doping test.
in Manchester, he won three gold medals: pursuit, team pursuit and madison.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he again won the pursuit, the first rider to successfully defend a pursuit title at the Olympics. On 17 August, he was a member of the Olympic pursuit team which broke the world record in the heats with 3:55:202, beating Russia to the ride-off for silver and gold. The following day, the team won the gold with a world record of 3:53:314, beating Denmark by 6.7s. Wiggins paired up with Mark Cavendish
in the madison and finished ninth.
In October 2008 he published his autobiography, In Pursuit of Glory and joined the team for the 2009 season.
On 14 December 2008 Wiggins came ninth in the BBC Sports Personality Awards with 5,633 votes. On 31 December Wiggins was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.
71st, which included second place in the final stage, Wiggins arrived at the 2009 Tour de France
having lost six kilos. He came third in the opening time-trial in Monaco and helped Garmin to second place in the team time-trial despite losing four riders. In the first mountain finish, Wiggins finished 12th, and at 5th place overall entering the second week, had the highest second-week place by a British rider since Robert Millar
. On the second mountain finish, in Verbier
, Wiggins finished fifth to climb to third overall. He was attacked by the Schleck brothers on stage 17 and dropped to sixth, but moved to fourth in the stage 18 time-trial. On stage 20 to Mont Ventoux
, Wiggins finished tenth and held fourth by three seconds ahead of Frank Schleck
. He held that position in the final stage, equalling Robert Millar's highest ever finish by a British rider in the Tour.
Wiggins won the British National Time Trial Championships
in September 2009.
In October 2009, he won the Herald Sun Tour
after helping team-mates most of the race. He led after winning the stage five time-trial in Geelong by 14 seconds over team-mate Svein Tuft
.
Wiggins had been contracted to ride for Garmin Slipstream in 2010, but following much speculation it was announced in December 2009 that he was to leave to join Team Sky
, having signed a four year contract with the new British based team.
. On May 10, he took his first major win of the year, in the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia
and took the maglia rosa leader's jersey. It was his first win at a Grand Tour. He lost the jersey on stage 2 to Cadel Evans following a crash-marred stage. He lost further time early on in the Giro, but recovered much of it on stage 11, in which he finished fourth. He faded quickly towards the end of the race, however, losing a lot of time over the final stages to finish 40th.
Wiggins entered the 2010 Tour de France with high expectations following his 4th place the year before. His Tour got off to a disappointing start however, when he could only manage 77th place in the opening prologue, after an early starting position left him exposed to poor conditions. Wiggins finished 8th on Stage 3, as cobblestones caught out a number of favourites. However, in Stage 8 (the first mountain summit finish of the Tour), Wiggins could only manage 19th place, losing 1 minute 45 seconds to stage winner Andy Schleck
. Wiggins lost even more time the next day, on Stage 9, where he came 30th (losing 4 minutes 55 to the main contenders), which effectively ended hopes of a top 10 finish. He finished the Tour in 24th place, 39 minutes 24 seconds behind winner Alberto Contador
, and 7 places behind team-mate Thomas Lofkvist.
Wiggins retained the British national time trial title at the National Championships.
Wiggins finished 3rd overall in Paris-Nice
after finishing 2nd in Stage 6. In March, he finished 2nd on the TT Stage 3 of the Critérium International
. Wiggins won the ITT Stage 4 of Bayern-Rundfahrt
, and finished the event in 14th place overall (and helping team-mate Geraint Thomas to win the event), before heading off for altitude training in preparation for the Tour de France. He took the overall lead of the Critérium du Dauphiné after finishing 2nd on the ITT Stage 3. On the final three mountain stages Wiggins was able to maintain his lead over second placed Cadel Evans
(who would go on to win the Tour de France) to win Dauphiné, his biggest victory in road racing. On 26 June, Wiggins won the British National Road Race Championships
, his final race before the Tour de France. On 8 July, he crashed out of the 2011 Tour de France
on stage 7 with a broken collarbone.
Following recovery from his injuries, it was confirmed by Team Sky that Wiggins would ride Vuelta a España
for the first time., as well as the World Time Trial Championships. Wiggins also confirmed he would ride the 2012 Tour de France, despite the London Olympics coming soon after, and the Vuelta/ Time Trial Championships was seen as a dress-rehearsal for 2012.
Wiggins had a difficult start to the Vuelta as Sky finished 42 seconds back on the opening Team Time Trial in Benidorm. However, a strong first week brought Wiggins back into contention, leaving him 19th overall after Stage 8. On Stage 9, Wiggins and teammate Chris Froome
attacked on the final climb to finish 4th and 5th respectively, and taking time out of Joaquim Rodríguez
, Michele Scarponi
and other contenders. The stage moved both riders up in the standings, and Wiggins was expected to take the overall lead on the time trial the following day. However, Froome sprung a major surprise, finishing second on the stage, taking the red jersey for himself, whilst Wiggins rose to third overall. Wiggins took the leaders jersey, after the rest day. After losing a few seconds to Vincenzo Nibali
on the following days, Stage 14 saw Wiggins and Froome taking time out of most of their rivals, with Nibali losing over a minute. Wiggins lost the lead of the Vuelta to Juan José Cobo
on Stage 15, where he finished 5th on the climb up the Angliru. The Stage saw Wiggins drop to 3rd in the standings, with Froome ahead in second. Wiggins finished the Vuelta in 3rd overall, his first grand tour podium.
In September, Wiggins finished second behind Tony Martin in the UCI Road World Championship Time Trial
to take the silver medal. Four days later, Wiggins was part of the Great Britain team that set up Mark Cavendish's victory in the Road Race
.
2004 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2001 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2011 UCI Road World Championships
1998 Commonwealth Games
2005
2007
2009
2010
2011
WD = withdrew
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 28 April 1980) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
professional track
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit
Pursuit racing
Pursuit racing is where two or more competitors are either chasing after each other or chasing after a lead competitor or team.The modern pentathlon is formatted such that the final event, a cross-country run, is essentially a pursuit race. Athlete performance in the prior four events determines...
and madison
Madison (cycling)
The madison is a team event in track cycling, named after the first Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French and in Italian and Spanish as Americana.-History:...
disciplines.
He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, three further medals at the Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, and two golds at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. In road cycling he turned professional in 2002, but his involvement was limited by his track cycling until 2007.
After the 2008 Olympics Wiggins took a break from the track to focus on the road. Initially viewed as a time-trial specialist and a rouleur
Rouleur
A rouleur is a type of racing cyclist considered a good all-rounder.In road bicycle racing different courses favour different types of rider depending on a range of environmental conditions such as terrain, climate and distance. Flat courses often finish in a bunch sprint, which favours specialist...
, Wiggins showed his ability in stage races when he came in fourth at the 2009 Tour de France
2009 Tour de France
The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
, the joint highest placed finish by a British rider in Tour history. In 2010 he was hired as the leader for the new Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
. To date his biggest win has been the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné
2011 Critérium du Dauphiné
The 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, was the 63rd running of the Critérium du Dauphiné cycling stage race. It started on 5 June in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and ended on 12 June in La Toussuire and consisted of eight stages, including a race-commencing prologue stage and an individual time trial, held as...
. Wiggins finished 3rd in the 2011 Vuelta a España
2011 Vuelta a España
The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country...
, becoming one of three British riders to make the podium in a Grand Tour. Ten days later, Wiggins won the silver medal in the Time Trial at the World Road Cycling Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Wiggins was part of the Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
team that helped Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
win the 2011 UCI World Road Race Championship
2011 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race
The Men's Individual Road Race of the 2011 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on 25 September 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark.In a sprint to the finish line, Great Britain's Mark Cavendish became world champion after making his move down the right-hand side of the course, and just...
.
Early years and family life
The son of a professional cyclist, Gary WigginsGary Wiggins
Gary Wiggins was an Australian professional cyclist, specialising in six-day racing. His son is the British rider, Bradley Wiggins....
, Bradley Wiggins was born in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and spent his childhood in London with his mother Linda and younger brother, Ryan. He started racing at south London's Herne Hill Velodrome
Herne Hill Velodrome
The Herne Hill Velodrome is a velodrome or track cycling venue in south London. It is one of the oldest cycling tracks in the world, having been built in 1891. It hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics and was briefly the home of Crystal Palace F.C...
aged 12. He lives in Eccleston
Eccleston, Lancashire
-Mr.Asia's Murder:Christopher Marty Johnstone was a New Zealand drug trafficker. The former Takapuna Grammar pupil was dubbed "Mr Asia" by the Auckland Star newspaper in August 1978 in a series of articles by Pat Booth....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He married his wife Catherine in Manchester in November 2004 and has two children, Ben and Isabella. Wiggins is a well known mod, and owns a collection of classic scooters
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
and guitars from the Sixties and Seventies.
International cycling
At 20, Wiggins won a bronze medal for Britain in the team pursuit at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney.
In 2001 he signed for the British professional road Linda McCartney Racing Team
Linda McCartney Racing Team
The Linda McCartney Racing Team was a British professional road bicycle racing team.-History:The team began in 1998 with Linda McCartney Foods, maker of vegetarian food, sponsoring vegetarian riders and staff. The company was started by Sir Paul McCartney's wife, Linda...
before it disbanded in early 2001. He joined in 2002, before moving to in 2004.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Wiggins became the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals at one Games, the last being Mary Rand
Mary Rand
Mary Denise Rand, MBE, is a former English track-and-field athlete. She won the gold medal in the long jump at the 1964 Summer Olympics by breaking the world record, becoming the first-ever British female to win an Olympic gold medal in a track and field event.-Early life:She is the daughter of...
at the 1964 Olympic Games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo. He won the gold in the pursuit, silver in the team pursuit, and bronze in the madison
Madison (cycling)
The madison is a team event in track cycling, named after the first Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French and in Italian and Spanish as Americana.-History:...
with his race partner Rob Hayles
Rob Hayles
Robert John Hayles is a track and road racing cyclist, riding for Great Britain and England on the track and his professional team Endura Racing on the road. Hayles rides the team pursuit and madison events....
. Wiggins was appointed OBE in the 2005 New Year Honours for services to sport.
In 2005, Wiggins rode Giro d'Italia for . He moved to in 2006, and rode that year's Tour de France. He returned to the track for the Manchester round of the UCI World Cup and the world championships in 2007, winning the individual and team pursuit. He followed on the road by winning the prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.
He raced for Cofidis in the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
and finished fourth in the prologue in London. He won the combativity award on stage six for a long solo breakaway. Cofidis withdrew after Cristian Moreni
Cristian Moreni
Cristian Moreni is an Italian road racing cyclist who rode for Cofidis, le Crédit par Téléphone in the UCI ProTour....
failed a doping test.
2008
In 2008 he signed with , a team now known as . At the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pursuit being the only addition from the 2007...
in Manchester, he won three gold medals: pursuit, team pursuit and madison.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he again won the pursuit, the first rider to successfully defend a pursuit title at the Olympics. On 17 August, he was a member of the Olympic pursuit team which broke the world record in the heats with 3:55:202, beating Russia to the ride-off for silver and gold. The following day, the team won the gold with a world record of 3:53:314, beating Denmark by 6.7s. Wiggins paired up with Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
in the madison and finished ninth.
In October 2008 he published his autobiography, In Pursuit of Glory and joined the team for the 2009 season.
On 14 December 2008 Wiggins came ninth in the BBC Sports Personality Awards with 5,633 votes. On 31 December Wiggins was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.
2009
After finishing the 2009 Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'Italia
The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
71st, which included second place in the final stage, Wiggins arrived at the 2009 Tour de France
2009 Tour de France
The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
having lost six kilos. He came third in the opening time-trial in Monaco and helped Garmin to second place in the team time-trial despite losing four riders. In the first mountain finish, Wiggins finished 12th, and at 5th place overall entering the second week, had the highest second-week place by a British rider since Robert Millar
Robert Millar
Robert Millar is a former Scottish professional cyclist who won the “King of the Mountains” competition in the 1984 Tour de France and finished fourth overall – sharing the highest Tour position for a British cyclist with Bradley Wiggins, and the first time a Briton had won a major Tour...
. On the second mountain finish, in Verbier
Verbier
Verbier is a village located in southwestern Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is one of the largest holiday resort and ski areas in the Swiss Alps, is recognized as one of the premiere "off-piste" locations in the world...
, Wiggins finished fifth to climb to third overall. He was attacked by the Schleck brothers on stage 17 and dropped to sixth, but moved to fourth in the stage 18 time-trial. On stage 20 to Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, Wiggins finished tenth and held fourth by three seconds ahead of Frank Schleck
Fränk Schleck
Fränk René Schleck is a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . At the start of 2005, Schleck was joined by his younger brother Andy on , and they split the 2005 national championships between them, with Fränk winning the road race and Andy winning the time trial...
. He held that position in the final stage, equalling Robert Millar's highest ever finish by a British rider in the Tour.
Wiggins won the British National Time Trial Championships
British National Time Trial Championships
The British National Time Trial Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other time trial events in the country to show their status as national champion...
in September 2009.
In October 2009, he won the Herald Sun Tour
Herald Sun Tour
The Herald Sun Tour is an Australian professional bicycle race held in Melbourne and provincial Victoria sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six day event and it is held annually in October. It is named after the Herald Sun, Melbourne's...
after helping team-mates most of the race. He led after winning the stage five time-trial in Geelong by 14 seconds over team-mate Svein Tuft
Svein Tuft
Svein Tuft is a Canadian road bicycle racer and the UCI America Tour champion. Tuft currently races for Canadian Professional Continental Cycling Team 'SpiderTech'. He is the current Canadian road and time trial champion.-Personal life:...
.
Wiggins had been contracted to ride for Garmin Slipstream in 2010, but following much speculation it was announced in December 2009 that he was to leave to join Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
, having signed a four year contract with the new British based team.
2010
Wiggins began 2010 as a team leader for the first time. He was part of the team who won the team time trial on stage one of the 2010 Tour of Qatar2010 Tour of Qatar
The 2010 Tour of Qatar was the ninth edition of the Tour of Qatar cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Asia Tour, and was held from 7 February to 12 February 2010, in Qatar. The race was won by Wouter Mol of .-Teams:...
. On May 10, he took his first major win of the year, in the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia
2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 to Stage 11
The 2010 Giro d'Italia began on 8 May, and stage 11 occurred on 19 May. The race began in Amsterdam in the Netherlands with an individual time trial and two flat stages before transferring to Italy. The transfer made an uncommonly early rest day in a Grand Tour, coming just three days into the...
and took the maglia rosa leader's jersey. It was his first win at a Grand Tour. He lost the jersey on stage 2 to Cadel Evans following a crash-marred stage. He lost further time early on in the Giro, but recovered much of it on stage 11, in which he finished fourth. He faded quickly towards the end of the race, however, losing a lot of time over the final stages to finish 40th.
Wiggins entered the 2010 Tour de France with high expectations following his 4th place the year before. His Tour got off to a disappointing start however, when he could only manage 77th place in the opening prologue, after an early starting position left him exposed to poor conditions. Wiggins finished 8th on Stage 3, as cobblestones caught out a number of favourites. However, in Stage 8 (the first mountain summit finish of the Tour), Wiggins could only manage 19th place, losing 1 minute 45 seconds to stage winner Andy Schleck
Andy Schleck
Andy Raymond Schleck is a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He is the younger brother of Fränk Schleck, who also rides for . Their father Johny Schleck rode the Tour de France and Vuelta a España between 1965 and 1974...
. Wiggins lost even more time the next day, on Stage 9, where he came 30th (losing 4 minutes 55 to the main contenders), which effectively ended hopes of a top 10 finish. He finished the Tour in 24th place, 39 minutes 24 seconds behind winner Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
, and 7 places behind team-mate Thomas Lofkvist.
Wiggins retained the British national time trial title at the National Championships.
2011
Wiggins was again team leader of Sky entering 2011. He opted against entering the 2011 Giro d'Italia, concentrating instead on shorter events and the classics, before undertaking altitude training to improve his climbing for the Tour de France.Wiggins finished 3rd overall in Paris-Nice
Paris-Nice
Paris–Nice, "the race to the sun", is a professional cycling stage race held each March.The first Paris–Nice was in 1933, and was won by Alfons Schepers from Belgium. The most successful cyclist in Paris–Nice was Sean Kelly from Ireland, who won seven consecutive titles from 1982 to 1988.Although...
after finishing 2nd in Stage 6. In March, he finished 2nd on the TT Stage 3 of the Critérium International
Critérium International
The Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
. Wiggins won the ITT Stage 4 of Bayern-Rundfahrt
Bayern-Rundfahrt
The International Bayern Rundfahrt is a stage race cycling race held each year in Bavaria, Germany. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour.The race was held as an amateur race between 1980 and 1988.- Winners :...
, and finished the event in 14th place overall (and helping team-mate Geraint Thomas to win the event), before heading off for altitude training in preparation for the Tour de France. He took the overall lead of the Critérium du Dauphiné after finishing 2nd on the ITT Stage 3. On the final three mountain stages Wiggins was able to maintain his lead over second placed Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
(who would go on to win the Tour de France) to win Dauphiné, his biggest victory in road racing. On 26 June, Wiggins won the British National Road Race Championships
British National Road Race Championships
The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
, his final race before the Tour de France. On 8 July, he crashed out of the 2011 Tour de France
2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
on stage 7 with a broken collarbone.
Following recovery from his injuries, it was confirmed by Team Sky that Wiggins would ride Vuelta a España
2011 Vuelta a España
The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country...
for the first time., as well as the World Time Trial Championships. Wiggins also confirmed he would ride the 2012 Tour de France, despite the London Olympics coming soon after, and the Vuelta/ Time Trial Championships was seen as a dress-rehearsal for 2012.
Wiggins had a difficult start to the Vuelta as Sky finished 42 seconds back on the opening Team Time Trial in Benidorm. However, a strong first week brought Wiggins back into contention, leaving him 19th overall after Stage 8. On Stage 9, Wiggins and teammate Chris Froome
Chris Froome
Chris Froome is a professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTour team .Born in Kenya, Froome moved with his family to South Africa as a teenager, and although he began his career registered with the Kenyan cycling federation, since spring 2008 has ridden under a British licence on the...
attacked on the final climb to finish 4th and 5th respectively, and taking time out of Joaquim Rodríguez
Joaquim Rodríguez
Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He has been competing since 2001, and currently rides for the UCI ProTour team .- Palmarès :2001...
, Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
and other contenders. The stage moved both riders up in the standings, and Wiggins was expected to take the overall lead on the time trial the following day. However, Froome sprung a major surprise, finishing second on the stage, taking the red jersey for himself, whilst Wiggins rose to third overall. Wiggins took the leaders jersey, after the rest day. After losing a few seconds to Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides UCI ProTeam . Born near the Strait of Messina, Nibali's nickname is the "shark of the strait" or simply "the shark." His first major win came at the 2006 GP Ouest-France, where he beat an impressive field on a tough course...
on the following days, Stage 14 saw Wiggins and Froome taking time out of most of their rivals, with Nibali losing over a minute. Wiggins lost the lead of the Vuelta to Juan José Cobo
Juan José Cobo
Juan José Cobo Acebo is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist who currently races for . He won the 2011 Vuelta a España, his first major title.He is considered a climber who also is able to time trial....
on Stage 15, where he finished 5th on the climb up the Angliru. The Stage saw Wiggins drop to 3rd in the standings, with Froome ahead in second. Wiggins finished the Vuelta in 3rd overall, his first grand tour podium.
In September, Wiggins finished second behind Tony Martin in the UCI Road World Championship Time Trial
2011 UCI Road World Championships – Men's time trial
The Men's time trial of the 2011 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on 21 September 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark.After bronze medals in both 2009 and 2010, Tony Martin won his first world championship title after setting the quickest time at each of the intermediate splits, before...
to take the silver medal. Four days later, Wiggins was part of the Great Britain team that set up Mark Cavendish's victory in the Road Race
2011 UCI Road World Championships
The 2011 UCI Road World Championships took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, over 19–25 September 2011. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women, men under 23, and for the first time since 2004 the junior men and junior women competed at the same event as the elite riders. It...
.
Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
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Bronze, team pursuit
2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
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Gold, 4km individual pursuit -
Silver, team pursuit - Bronze, madison
2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- Gold, 4km individual pursuit
- Gold, team pursuit
World Championships
1997 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships-
Gold, 2km individual pursuit
2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Manchester, United Kingdom from October 26 to October 30, 2000.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
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Silver, team pursuit
2001 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2001 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2001 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Antwerp, Belgium from September 26 to September 30, 2001.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
- Silver, team pursuit
2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Copenhagen, Denmark from September 25 to September 29, 2002.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
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Bronze, team pursuit
2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2003 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Stuttgart, Germany from July 30 to August 3, 2003. The championships were due to be held in Shenzhen, China, but were moved to Stuttgart following the 2003 SARS outbreak in China.-Medals...
- Gold, 4km individual pursuit
- Silver, team pursuit
2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships is the World Championship for track cycling. It took place in Palma de Mallorca, Spain from March 29, 2007 to April 1, 2007...
- Gold, 4km individual pursuit
- Gold, team pursuit
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pursuit being the only addition from the 2007...
- Gold, 4km individual pursuit
- Gold, Team pursuit (world record time)
- Gold, madison
2011 UCI Road World Championships
2011 UCI Road World Championships
The 2011 UCI Road World Championships took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, over 19–25 September 2011. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women, men under 23, and for the first time since 2004 the junior men and junior women competed at the same event as the elite riders. It...
- Silver, individual time trial
Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
- Silver, 4km individual pursuit
- Silver, team pursuit
1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
- Silver, team pursuit
Professional Cycling Major Achievements
2003- 1st Stage 1 ITT, Tour de l'Avenir
- 1st Six Days of GhentSix Days of GhentThe Six Days of Ghent is a six-day track cycling race held annually in Ghent, Belgium.It takes place in the Kuipke velodrome in Ghent's Citadelpark.The 2006 event from 21 November to 26 November was marred by the death of one of the riders...
2005
- 1st Stage 2 ITT, Circuit de LorraineCircuit de LorraineThe Circuit de Lorraine is an multi-stage road bicycle racing held annually in Lorraine, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- 1st Stage 8 Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
2007
- 1st Prologue Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 1st Stage 1 ITT Four Days of DunkirkFour Days of DunkirkThe Four Days of Dunkirk is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Confusingly, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has usually been held over a 5 or 6 day period. Since 2005, the race is organised as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe...
- 1st Stage 4 ITT Tour du Poitou-Charentes et de la Vienne
- 1st Duo NormandDuo NormandThe Duo Normand is a two-man team time trial for elite racing cyclists. Held annually in Normandy, France, it was instituted in 1982. Launched by a local cycling association, the Duo Normand takes place on a road circuit of more than every September...
- Combativity award
Stage 6, Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
2009
- 1st
British National Time Trial ChampionshipsBritish National Time Trial ChampionshipsThe British National Time Trial Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other time trial events in the country to show their status as national champion... - 1st Overall Herald Sun TourHerald Sun TourThe Herald Sun Tour is an Australian professional bicycle race held in Melbourne and provincial Victoria sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six day event and it is held annually in October. It is named after the Herald Sun, Melbourne's...
- 1st Stage 5 ITT
- 1st Stage 1 TTTTeam time trialA team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
, Tour of QatarTour of QatarThe Tour of Qatar is a road bicycle race race held in Qatar and is part of the UCI Asia Tour. The race consists of a men's competition over six stages... - 1st Stage 3b ITT, Driedaagse De Panne-KoksijdeThree Days of De PanneThe Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...
- 1st Beaumont Trophy
- 4th Overall 2009 Tour de France2009 Tour de FranceThe 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
2010
- 1st British National Time Trial ChampionshipsBritish National Time Trial ChampionshipsThe British National Time Trial Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other time trial events in the country to show their status as national champion...
- 1st Stage 1 TTTTeam time trialA team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
Tour of QatarTour of QatarThe Tour of Qatar is a road bicycle race race held in Qatar and is part of the UCI Asia Tour. The race consists of a men's competition over six stages... - 1st Stage 1 ITT Giro d'Italia2010 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country...
- Held Maglia Rosa
for Stage 1
- Held Maglia Rosa
2011
- 1st British National Road Race ChampionshipsBritish National Road Race ChampionshipsThe British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
- 1st Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné
- 2nd Stage 3
- 1st Stage 4 Bayern-Rundfahrt2011 Bayern-RundfahrtThe 2011 Bayern-Rundfahrt was the 32nd edition of the Bayern-Rundfahrt, an annual cycling road race. Departing from Pfarrkirchen on 25 May, it concluded in Moosburg on 29 May. The 798.2 km long stage race was part of the 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour, and was rated as a 2.HC event...
- 2nd UCI Road World Championship Time Trial2011 UCI Road World ChampionshipsThe 2011 UCI Road World Championships took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, over 19–25 September 2011. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women, men under 23, and for the first time since 2004 the junior men and junior women competed at the same event as the elite riders. It...
- 3rd Overall Paris–Nice2011 Paris–NiceThe 2011 Paris–Nice was the 69th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 6 March in Houdan and ended on 13 March in Nice and consisted of eight stages, including a time trial...
- 3rd Stage 2 Tour de France2011 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11These are the profiles for the individual stages in the 2011 Tour de France, with Stage 1 on 2 July, and Stage 11 on 13 July.-Stage 1:2 July 2011 — Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes,...
(TTT) - 3rd Overall Vuelta a España2011 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country...
- 4th Stage 9
- 3rd Stage 10
- 5th Stage 15
- Held Red Jerseyfrom Stage 11–15
Grand Tour General Classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
123 2005 Giro d'Italia The 2005 Giro d'Italia, the 88th running of the race, was held from 7 May to 29 May 2005, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,417 km, ridden at an average speed of 37,375 km/h... |
- | - | 134 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
71 2009 Giro d'Italia The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race... |
40 2010 Giro d'Italia The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country... |
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 Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
- | 124 2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.... |
WD 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
- | 4 2009 Tour de France The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco... |
24 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
WD 2011 Tour de France -Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in... |
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 3 2011 Vuelta a España The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country... |
WD = withdrew
World records
- 4000m Team Pursuit, 3:55:202, (as part of Great British team), Beijing China, 2008
- 4000m Team Pursuit, 3:53:314, (as part of Great British team), Beijing China, 2008
Quotes
- "Most people were too drunk to notice me." On his experiences of late-night practice runs for the London leg of the Tour de France.
- "It is nice to be recognised for actually achieving something in life as opposed to spending seven weeks in a house on TV with a load of other muppets." A reference to the television programme, Big BrotherBig Brother (TV series)Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
, after finishing fourth in the Tour de France prologue.
- "I think that when you sit back and look at the season and see what has happened, I think you reflect on it with a bit of happiness, but when you finish third, you haven't won and we live for winning unfortunately." On finishing third in the 2011 Vuelta a España2011 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country...
.