Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins: The all-rounder

The son of an Australian cyclist conquers the crowns of cycling. In 2012, he was knighted by the Queen of England in honor of his glorious successes. Until this uniquely royal moment, however, he went through various flights of fancy and strokes of fate.

by Bruno Fleckenstein

Bradley Wiggins grew up in London's Kilburn district, almost in the center of the English metropolis. Not far from his neighborhood one met skinheads, mods and Rastafari. He joined the Mods, whose origins can be found in the working classes and the lower middle class. Mods (derived from modernist) were a subculture present mainly in the UK in the early 60s and came back into fashion in the early 80s. Tailor-made suits and expensive brand clothes, as well as the ownership of an Italian motor scooter were an important part of the identification of this movement. "The Jam" is a band that belongs to the second wave of the mod movement, and Bradley describes it as one of his favorite bands. There are also, understandably, a couple of scooters in his garage.

The difficult relationship with father Gary
The son of Australian cyclist Gary Wiggins, he was born in the Belgian city of Ghent on April 28, 1980. Former racing driver Maurice Burton reported in a 2012 interview that Bradley was given his middle name "Marc" because his father wanted to construct the brand name BMW from his initials. In his autobiography "In Pursuit of Glory," published in 2008, Bradley Wiggins discussed his difficult relationship with his father. His father had abandoned him when he was just two years old and had no contact with him for 14 years. Together with his mother Linda, brother Ryan, stepfather Brendon and grandparents, he grew up in modest circumstances. It is striking that he, like his father, sought a career in bicycle racing. Is it coincidence, is it in the genes or was it an attempt to get close to his father because of the loss in childhood? Instead of the usual English football stars, his walls were hung with posters of cycling stars, especially that of Miguel Indurain, his Spanish idol.

The long road to fame
Looking back on Bradley Wiggins' career, one notices striking highs and lows, but also a remarkable ability to change and improve from gold-winning successful track pro to the world's best 2012 road racer, which is why I call him an all-rounder.....

 

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