Bradley Wiggins has honestly revealed that he 'doesn't cycle anymore' because he didn't like who he was when cycling and explained that his only memories of winning the Tour de France on the famous Champs-Elysées in Paris come from looking back of it on television.
Widely celebrated as Team GB's greatest ever champion, the five-time Olympic gold medalist has revealed the difficult personal battles he faced during his cycling career in an upcoming six-part BBC documentary series called 'Imposter Syndrome'.
Wiggins also gave insight into his troubled relationship with his father, Garry, and how the estranged parent once showed jealousy of his achievements when he told him “you'll never be as good as your old man.” It's a day Wiggins describes as the “hardest day” of his life.
Thanks to his success in 2012, Wiggins became the first ever British rider to win the Tour de France. That achievement launched the now retired athlete into the global spotlight and from there his life changed completely.
Wiggins explained that he no longer cycles, telling interviewer Rob Adcock: 'I don't cycle anymore because I don't like the person I became when I was on it.
Bradley Wiggins has revealed how he has stopped cycling since retiring from the sport
Wiggins became the very first British rider to win the famous Tour de France in 2012
But Wiggins explained in a six-part documentary with the BBC that his only memory of being on the Champs-Elysées comes from watching the celebrations on television.
'I can't imagine achieving something like that now from a sporting perspective, because I'm not the same person as I am anymore. I have grown now.
'I have all the answers. That all comes from my sports career, and my greatness comes from a quirk about me that hasn't been resolved since childhood.
'I was the most confident cyclist when I was on it. “But when I got off the bike, I had to step back like Bradley Wiggins because the bike was the most comfortable for me and gave me all the confidence in my life,” he said.
Describing how he has no memory of winning the Tour de France and how the intense media coverage of his success affected him in subsequent years, Wiggins continued: 'When I came off the bike and onto the throne in front of a sofa If I had to sit with cameras, I would have to give it victory signs, be funny and perform.
'I don't remember standing on the Champs-Elysées or on any Olympic podium. The only memory I have of it is watching it back on TV.
'From the moment I stepped off that stage, I was myself again and I no longer had the veil, the bike or the bike.
'I had to be myself, the person, and suddenly I felt alone. That's why I started letting my sideburns and hair grow longer. Wear funny suits. It was all a distraction from me being myself,” he said.
Wiggins ended his 16-year professional cycling career in 2016, ending his astonishing time in the sport with one Tour de France title and a record eight Olympic medals, along with other individual accolades.
Wiggins revealed how meeting his estranged father, Garry, was a 'terrifying experience'
Wiggins is Team GB's most decorated Olympian, having won eight Olympic medals during his established career
However, one part of his life that the now 43-year-old does not look back on fondly is his fractured relationship with his estranged father.
His father Garry was a celebrated Australian six-day track racer, but was absent for most of his son's upbringing throughout his childhood and teenage years.
Wiggins Snr died in 2008 aged 55 after an altercation in Australia and was found unconscious in the street.
The father and son exchanged occasional letters during his childhood, but a meeting with his father at the age of 19 is described by the celebrated cyclist as a 'haunting experience'.
'He had no money and he came to Belgium for a race I was in, and I'll never forget it. It was probably the hardest day of my life meeting him. Within a week he said to me, 'You'll never be as good as your old man.' The kind of jealousy crept in. To this day I remember clearly where I was when he said it,” Wiggins told the BBC documentary.
However, Wiggins has explained that he stopped cycling because he didn't like who he was while cycling
'I was in the middle of the track in Ghent in Belgium. I had done a pretty good job on the track and everyone was cheering for me. I raced against men and shined. And he couldn't handle it. He couldn't handle the attention on me.
“He said to me, 'Remember, you'll never be as good as your old man.' He squeezed my arm and came very close to me so no one else could hear.
'It was a very captivating experience. From that day on, an urge to be better than him remained for so long. That's what spurred me on in 2012,” he said.
The upcoming BBC documentary featuring Wiggins will air next week.