Bradley Wiggins
He transformed British cycling from a niche pursuit into a national obsession by winning the Tour de France and becoming his country's most decorated Olympian.
Born 1980 (age 46)·British former professional road and track racing cyclist·Birthday: April 28·Generation X
Biography
Bradley Wiggins emerged from a tough London childhood, his obsession with cycling fueled by watching the Olympics on television. His early prowess was on the track, where his gangly frame and relentless power made him a natural pursuiter. He collected Olympic medals with a quiet, steely determination, but his true ambition lay on the open road. In 2012, he achieved the seemingly impossible: clad in the yellow jersey of Team Sky, he became the first British rider to conquer the Tour de France. That golden summer, he seamlessly transitioned back to the track to win Olympic gold in the time trial, cementing his status as a national hero. His career was a masterclass in reinvention, proving a rider could dominate both the velodrome and the high mountains, and he later capped it with a stylish, meticulously planned assault on the storied Hour Record.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bradley was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bradley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Bradley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- First British cyclist to win the Tour de France, securing the yellow jersey in 2012.
- Became Great Britain's most decorated Olympian with eight medals (five gold, one silver, two bronze) across five Games.
- Set a new UCI Hour Record in 2015, covering 54.526 kilometers at the Lee Valley VeloPark.
- Only rider to have won both World Championships and Olympic gold medals on both the track and the road.
- Won the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award by a record public vote margin.
Did You Know?
He is a passionate mod and has an extensive collection of parkas, Lambretta scooters, and rare vinyl records from the 1960s.
He was knighted in 2013, becoming Sir Bradley Wiggins, shortly after his Tour de France victory.
His father, a professional cyclist from Australia, was largely absent from his life, a subject he has spoken about openly.
He named his son Ben after the legendary Belgian cyclist Benoni Beheyt.
Before the 2012 Tour, he publicly stated his goal was to win, a rare display of confidence that he then delivered on.
““I’m not a celebrity, I’m a sportsman. I’m just a bloke who rides a bike.””
