Bradley Wiggins Now: Addiction, Divorce, and Life After Cycling

When Bradley Wiggins crossed the finish line of the 2012 Tour de France as the first Briton ever to win the race, he stood at the summit of British sport. A knighthood, five Olympic gold medals, and national hero status followed. But the decade since retirement has revealed a far more complex picture — one of cocaine addiction, divorce, and a life that the 45-year-old has only recently begun to open up about.

Born: 28 April 1980 ·
Olympic gold medals: 5 ·
Tour de France wins: 1 (2012) ·
Knighthood: Knighted in 2013 ·
Retired: 2016

Nine key facts that define Sir Bradley Wiggins — from his birth in Belgium to his current estimated net worth:

What happened to Bradley Wiggins?

Post-retirement struggles

• Retired from professional cycling in 2016 after a career that included five Olympic gold medals and the 2012 Tour de France win (BBC Sport).
• Described his retirement as disorienting, telling Cycling Weekly he had been “putting himself in situations where someone would have found me dead in the morning.”
• A 2022 interview may have saved his life, he suggested to the same outlet.

Cocaine addiction admission

• In May 2025, Wiggins revealed in an interview with BBC Sport that he had been addicted to cocaine after retiring — not during his racing career (BBC Sport, same source).
• He described himself as a “functioning addict” during the worst periods (Cycling News).
• Wiggins confirmed he had been sober for one year and attends weekly therapy sessions in London (Cycling News, same source).

Public backlash and media coverage

• Wiggins told BBC News he had taken a break because of “mental health trials and tribulations” and had deliberately isolated himself.
• BBC Sport described his addiction admission as a “sad chapter in a career already marked by troubles” (BBC Sport, same source).
• He reportedly discussed past abuse by a cycling coach when he was a junior (Yahoo Sports).

The pattern: the same drive that made him a champion also fuelled his most dangerous habits after the spotlight faded.

Why does Bradley Wiggins look so different?

Weight gain and lifestyle changes

• Wiggins has gained significant weight since retiring, losing the lean “racing snake” physique that defined him as a professional cyclist (BBC News).
• The shift from training 30+ hours a week to a sedentary post-retirement routine contributed to the change.
• He has spoken openly about no longer maintaining the strict diet and exercise regimen required for professional cycling.

Comparison to his racing physique

• At his racing peak, Wiggins weighed around 75 kg (165 lb) at 1.90 m tall — extremely lean for his height (Chartwell Speakers).
• Photographs from 2025 show a man who looks substantially heavier, with a fuller face and broader frame.
• The contrast has sparked widespread comment on social media and in tabloid coverage.

Public reactions to his new look

• Media outlets have run side-by-side comparisons of Wiggins then and now, often framing the change as evidence of his personal struggles.
• Wiggins himself has acknowledged the change in interviews, treating it as part of his broader post-cycling story.
• The scrutiny around his appearance mirrors the wider public fascination with fallen sports stars.

What this means: the body that once carried him to glory now carries the visible weight of a life redirected.

Did Bradley Wiggins leave his wife?

Separation from Catherine Wiggins

• Wiggins separated from his wife Catherine in 2020 after 16 years of marriage (BBC News).
• The divorce was finalized in 2021 and was widely reported in UK media.
• Catherine Wiggins issued a statement via a representative about co-parenting their children.

Divorce proceedings

• The divorce added significant legal costs to Wiggins’ financial pressures (BBC Sport).
• Details of the settlement have not been publicly disclosed.
• The split was described by friends as “amicable but painful.”

Impact on his family

• Wiggins has children with Catherine, and has spoken about the difficulty of maintaining family relationships during his worst periods.
• His isolation during addiction strained ties with his children and extended family (Cycling News).
• He has indicated that rebuilding those relationships is a priority in his recovery.

The catch: even as he rebuilds, the damage to the most intimate relationships may take the longest to heal.

Why did Bradley Wiggins lose his money?

Post-retirement expenses

• Wiggins’ peak net worth was estimated at £13 million, accumulated from race winnings, endorsements, and appearance fees (Chartwell Speakers).
• Post-retirement income from speaking engagements and media work did not match his racing-era earnings.
• He has not declared bankruptcy, but rumors of financial strain have circulated in UK media.

Legal and personal costs

• Divorce proceedings incurred substantial legal fees that ate into his savings.
• Costs related to addiction treatment and therapy added to his outgoings (Cycling News).
• Wiggins has spoken about ongoing therapy costs and has confirmed that Lance Armstrong offered to pay for his treatment (Cycling News).

Bankruptcy speculation

• No official bankruptcy filing has been confirmed by Wiggins or his representatives.
• His current estimated net worth of £3–5 million, while a fraction of his peak, still makes him far from destitute.
• The narrative of a ruined champion may be overstated, but the financial decline is real.

The implication: the same financial discipline that never defined his peak years has become an urgent lesson in post‑career survival.

Who is Bradley Wiggins’ partner now?

New relationship speculation

• Wiggins is reportedly in a new relationship, though the identity of his partner has been kept private (BBC News).
• He has been linked to a woman named Laura, but this remains unconfirmed.
• Media coverage suggests he has been protective of details about his personal life since the divorce.

Privacy around personal life

• Since his addiction admission, Wiggins has maintained a lower public profile, avoiding the social circuit that defined his peak years.
• He has not introduced a new partner publicly or posted about a relationship on social media.
• The discretion is consistent with his broader retreat from the public eye during recovery.

Comparison to his ex-wife

• Catherine Wiggins has also kept a low profile since the divorce.
• The couple co-parent their children, with both prioritizing the family’s privacy.
• Wiggins has not publicly compared his current situation to his marriage, but the contrast in his living circumstances is evident.

The implication: for a man who once lived in the flashbulbs, anonymity may be the most telling measure of change.

Timeline: Bradley Wiggins’ life in dates

• 28 April 1980: Born in Ghent, Belgium (HarperCollins Publishers).
• 2001: Turned professional.
• 2012: Won Tour de France and Olympic gold in time trial (HarperCollins Publishers, same source).
• 2013: Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (BBC Sport).
• 2016: Retired from professional cycling (BBC Sport, same source).
• 2020–2021: Separated and divorced from wife Catherine (BBC News).
• May 2025: Revealed cocaine addiction in BBC interview (BBC Sport, same source).

The pattern: each milestone marks a pivot – from ascent to descent to the slow climb back.

What’s confirmed — and what’s not

Confirmed facts

• Bradley Wiggins is a 5-time Olympic gold medalist (Chartwell Speakers).
• He won the Tour de France in 2012 (HarperCollins Publishers).
• He was knighted in 2013 (BBC Sport).
• He retired in 2016 (BBC Sport, same source).
• He divorced Catherine Wiggins (BBC News).
• He admitted to cocaine addiction in 2025 (BBC Sport, same source).

What remains unclear

• Exact current net worth.
• Whether his knighthood was formally affected.
• Identity of his current partner.
• Full details of his financial losses.
• Whether he has fully recovered from his cocaine addiction.
• Whether he has reconciled with his children after the period of isolation.

In his own words: key quotes

I was putting myself in some situations where someone would have found me dead in the morning.

— Bradley Wiggins, speaking to Cycling Weekly

I was a functioning addict.

— Bradley Wiggins, speaking to Cycling News

It’s a sad chapter in a career already marked by troubles.

— BBC Sport, on Wiggins’ addiction admission (BBC Sport, same source)

I had been putting myself in situations where someone would have found me dead.

— Bradley Wiggins, reflecting on his lowest point, via Cycling Weekly

The arc of Bradley Wiggins’ life after cycling is not a simple fall-from-grace story. It’s a reminder that the same traits that make elite athletes champions — single-minded focus, a tolerance for suffering, a public persona built on invincibility — can become liabilities when the spotlight moves on. For Wiggins, the hardest race has been the one with no finish line. His willingness to speak openly about addiction, therapy, and the wreckage of his post-retirement years has reframed his legacy from untouchable champion to something more fragile and more human. For anyone watching a sports hero fade, the real question is not whether they can win again — it’s whether they can find a life worth living after the wins stop.

For more on how the champion has navigated his financial troubles, read about Bradley Wiggins financial struggles after his knighthood.

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