Bradley Wiggins Siblings: Get to Know Ryan Wiggins

Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, born on April 28, 1980, in Ghent, Belgium, stands as one of the most celebrated figures in British cycling history.

The son of Australian professional cyclist Gary Wiggins and British mother Linda, Bradley was raised in London after his parents’ separation when he was just two years old.

Growing up in a working-class environment in Herne Hill, south London, he discovered his passion for cycling at the age of 12, inspired by watching Chris Boardman claim gold in the individual pursuit at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Wiggins’s early life was marked by challenges, including a strained relationship with his absent father, but these hardships fueled his relentless drive.

A versatile athlete excelling in both track and road disciplines, he turned professional in 2001 and competed until his retirement in 2016.

Beyond the bike, Wiggins is known for his mod subculture affinity, guitar-playing skills, and candid discussions on mental health, though his post-career years have included personal and financial struggles, such as his 2020 separation from his wife Catherine and bankruptcy declaration in 2024.

Siblings

Bradley has one sibling, a younger half-brother named Ryan Wiggins, who is the son of his mother and her partner, Brendan.

While not much is known about Ryan, Bradley’s family narrative extends through his own children, including son Ben Wiggins, a promising young cyclist born in 2004 who has already medaled at European junior and U23 levels and aspires to Olympic gold, much like his father.

Ben’s emergence in the sport has occasionally placed him in the shadow of Bradley’s legacy, with the younger Wiggins noting instances where he is introduced primarily as “Bradley Wiggins’s son” during team presentations.

Bradley also has daughter Isabella from his marriage to Catherine, though she has stayed more out of the public eye compared to Ben’s athletic pursuits.

Career

Wiggins’s professional journey began on the track, where he quickly established himself as a prodigy.

At just 18, he claimed the 1998 Junior World Championship in the individual pursuit, setting the stage for a glittering career.

His Olympic debut came in Sydney 2000, earning bronze in the team pursuit as part of the British squad.

Transitioning to the professional peloton in 2001 with the short-lived Linda McCartney Racing Team, he soon joined Française des Jeux in 2002, followed by stints at Crédit Agricole and Cofidis.

Early road forays were modest, including a 123rd-place finish in his 2006 Tour de France debut, marred by his team’s withdrawal amid a doping scandal that prompted Wiggins to dramatically discard their kit at an airport.

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A pivotal shift occurred in 2008 when Wiggins dominated the Manchester World Championships, securing three golds in the individual pursuit, team pursuit, and madison.

That year, at the Beijing Olympics, he defended his individual pursuit title—becoming the first to do so—and added team pursuit gold, setting a world record.

Disillusioned with road cycling’s demands, he briefly refocused on track events but returned to the road in 2009 with Garmin-Slipstream, stunning the cycling world with a fourth-place finish in the Tour de France, later upgraded to third due to disqualifications.

Joining Team Sky in 2010 marked Wiggins’s ascent to Grand Tour contention.

After a 24th place in the 2010 Tour and a crash-forced withdrawal in 2011, he exploded in 2012, winning Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, and Critérium du Dauphiné—three key Tour prep races—before conquering the Tour de France itself as the first British winner.

Weeks later, at London 2012, he claimed time trial gold, breaking Sir Steve Redgrave’s record for most Olympic medals by a Briton.

Subsequent years brought mixed results: a Giro d’Italia victory in 2015 and more track triumphs, including pursuit and team pursuit golds at Rio 2016.

Controversies over therapeutic use exemptions for triamcinolone injections shadowed his later career, as detailed in a 2018 UK parliamentary report, though no bans were issued.

Wiggins retired in December 2016, leaving a legacy of bridging track and road dominance while elevating British cycling’s global profile.

Accolades

Wiggins’s Olympic haul totals eight medals—five golds, one silver, and two bronzes—making him Great Britain’s most decorated Olympian at the time of his retirement.

Highlights include team pursuit bronze in Sydney 2000, individual pursuit gold and team pursuit silver plus madison bronze in Athens 2004, individual and team pursuit golds in Beijing 2008, team pursuit gold in London 2012, and another team pursuit gold in Rio 2016.

On the track, he amassed ten World Championship medals between 2000 and 2008, with six golds: three in individual pursuit (2002, 2003, 2007), two in team pursuit (2005, 2007), and one in madison (2008).

Road achievements cemented his status as a Grand Tour great. The pinnacle was his 2012 Tour de France victory, the first by a British rider, where he donned the yellow jersey from stage seven to the Champs-Élysées finish.

That year, he also won Olympic time trial gold and claimed the Vélo d’Or as the world’s best cyclist.

Other major wins include the 2011 and 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné general classifications, Paris-Nice in 2012, Tour de Romandie in 2012, and the 2015 Giro d’Italia.

He secured second in the 2011 Vuelta a España (upgraded from third) and third in the 2009 Tour de France.

Beyond competitions, Wiggins received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2012, was appointed CBE in 2009, and knighted in the 2013 New Year’s Honours as Sir Bradley.