Ben Wiggins targets Olympic glory of his own
Ben Wiggins won a silver medal in the men's junior individual time trial at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow [Getty Images]
Cyclist Ben Wiggins, son of five-time Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley, has opened up on the good and bad of being related to a legend of the sport.
The 20-year-old from Ormskirk is currently competing at the Under-23 Giro D'Italia, also known as Giro Next Gen, and has admitted the Wiggins surname carries a hefty weight of expectation.
Advertisement
"I definitely see it partly as an advantage but, trust me, there's an awful lot of things that come with it that aren't as easy," Wiggins told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"There's a lot of benefits that come with it that people would expect, but then there's more things that come with it that aren't as good.
"I'm incredibly proud of him and what he did. Sometimes, when they do team presentations before the race, I'd be brought on stage and introduced as Bradley Wiggins' son before my name is even mentioned.
"I'm also compared to the standards of a five-time Olympic champion and Tour de France winner.
Advertisement
"I'm 20 years old. Maybe when I'm 35 that's fair enough, but I'm just getting started."
Wiggins began his cycling career in 2022 when he signed as a junior rider for the Fensham Howes-MAS Design team.
After winning a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in the men's junior individual time trial, Wiggins joined United States-based Hagens Berman Jayco, managed by Axel Merckx - the son of five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx.
Wiggins says his and Merckx's similar stories played a big role in deciding which team to ride for.
"As a junior, I was second in the World Championships in Glasgow and I had the choice of many different places to go," he explained.
Advertisement
"But for me, having that figure in the team which felt the same experience as me - but on a bigger scale - that was the biggest attraction."
Wiggins is targeting Olympic gold at the LA Games in 2028 [Getty Images]
A rugby and football fanatic from an early age, Wiggins says he was 15 before he wanted to become a cyclist, despite his father's influence on the sport.
"I played rugby and football predominantly up until when Covid hit and we couldn't play team sports. At school, there was that banter around cycling. It's not fancy, it's not cool," he said.
Wiggins also has his eyes on representing his country at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles but says he has a lot of work to do if he is to follow in his father's footsteps.
Advertisement
"My ambition is to be an Olympic Champion in LA," Wiggins added.
"There's plenty more things on the table for me to achieve but it's a dream of mine so that's definitely the mid to long-term goal, on the track or on the road.
"If you can do both you're a big asset for the team, so that's my ambition."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
From pitch to prestige: Sir David Beckham's journey to knighthood
David Beckham was knighted by King Charles on 13 June. He had long dreamed of becoming a sir, and King Charles made it a reality when he announced his birthday's honours list on Friday. The honour, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, 'is a powerful symbolic marker.' David Beckham's knighthood is the culmination of years of tireless efforts to transcend football and turn himself into a global icon at the 'intersection of sport, fashion and business.' He had long dreamed of becoming a sir, and King Charles III made it a reality when he announced his birthday's honours list on Friday, marking the end of a decades-long journey travelled with his Spice Girl wife, Victoria, creator of the eponymous fashion brand. The honour, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, 'is a powerful symbolic marker,' Marie-Agnes Parmentier, professor of marketing at the University of Montreal and author of several papers on 'Posh and Becks,' explained to AFP. It 'reinforces his image as a respectable, committed, and, first and foremost, British man,' she added. The knighthood could present new opportunities for the 50-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, 'particularly in diplomatic, charitable or political spheres,' said Parmentier. The former free-kick ace, from a modest East London background, diversified his career after retiring from football in 2013, but success was the result of planning long before he hung up his boots. 'I knew my career was going to end at some point, and I wanted to have a career after football,' he said in the documentary series Beckham, which aired on Netflix in 2023. Pioneer At the height of his football career, Beckham signed deals with top clothing and beauty brands, building an audience that cut across gender, age and nationality, becoming the first England player to crack the US market. The successful brand was built on his immaculate appearance and nearly-always exemplary off-field behaviour, coupled with an unwavering drive to become a pioneer. This required a certain amount of courage, given that English football in the 1990s was generally the preserve of no-nonsense lads more interested in the pub than the catwalk. His appearance in a sarong during the 1998 World Cup, revelations that he used make-up, and his eccentric hairstyles were all feverishly gobbled up by the UK's tabloid press. READ MORE | Sir David Beckham? King Charles III to honour football legend with long-awaited knighthood Beckham is still capitalising on the fascination almost 30 years later. He unveiled his first collection for Hugo Boss in April, is the founder of the Inter Miami football club and the Studio 99 production company, and has been a UNICEF ambassador for 20 years. He is now best known not for football 'but for being Beckham, the brand.' said sociologist Ellis Cashmore. It is a brand worth £500 million ($676 million), according to The Times newspaper's 2025 ranking. From Outcast to Hero The Netflix show exposed the couple to an emerging younger audience, cementing their fame for the foreseeable future. Beckham 'embodies a celebrity at the intersection of sport, fashion, entertainment and business,' explained Parmentier. The couple's enduring visibility 'is based on a sophisticated media strategy and an ability to embody universal values such as work, family and style,' she added. But it has been a long and bumpy road, Cashmore pointed out. In 1998, Beckham was called the most hated man in England after he petulantly kicked out at Argentina's Diego Simeone during their World Cup round of 16 game. AFP Beckham was harshly sent off, and England lost to its bitter rivals in a penalty shoot-out. Those who had bitten their tongue about his off-field flamboyance gave full vent to their feelings. National headlines the next day included '10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy' (Daily Mirror) and 'You're Just A Joke Becks' (Daily Mail). Months of 'hell' followed, with death threats, spitting and boos accompanying Beckham wherever he went. 'Wherever I went, I got abused every single day,' he said. 'I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme. The whole country hated me.' ALSO READ | Brooklyn and Nicola vs The Beckhams: Inside the rumoured family feud But the ordeal only sharpened Beckham's focus. A year later, he finished second in the Ballon d'Or as he helped Manchester United claim an unprecedented treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. It was often said that Beckham's career seemed to be scripted by a movie writer, never more so than when the fallen idol took his revenge by scoring the winning goal against perennial rivals Argentina in the 2002 World Cup, redeeming his national hero status. The royal family were quick to embrace him, inviting Beckham to the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Previous rumours of an impending knighthood came to nothing, but his star once again rose in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. While other celebrities came under fire for skipping the queue to view her coffin, Beckham lined up with members of the public for almost 12 hours to pay his respects. Since then, it has seemed that 'Sir David' was only a matter of time in coming.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gossip: Preston keen on former striker Robinson
Preston North End are keen on signing former forward Callum Robinson, 30, from Cardiff City after the Welsh club were relegated to League One. (Irish Examiner) Leicester City are weighing up a move for Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood, 23, who spent last season on loan at Preston. (Mail) Take a look at Tuesday's full gossip column to see the latest transfer news and rumours from the EFL Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fabrizio Romano names Chelsea's 'priority target' this summer, calms down new winger rumours
Chelsea are not trying to hide their plans for this summer. Manager Enzo Maresca even came out and said it in his press conference. With Jadon Sancho back at Manchester United and Mykhailo Mudryk's doping ban seemingly set to rule him out for a long time, another option on the wing is a major need. News has come out this evening from L'Equipe that the Blues have made a 'verbal enquiry' for Malick Fofana, with top transfer insider David Ornstein backing that up. Advertisement We're not sure what that entails exactly – by the sounds of things that is just 'asking how much he would cost.' Fabrizio Romano, not one to be left out of any transfer scoop, has added some details of his own to the equation. Chelsea keep Gittens as priority target Fabrizio Romano's quote on Jamie Gittens. While not exactly pouring cold water on the idea, Romano is certainly less enthusiastic than some others. He says while we have made an 'inquiry' for Fofana and are in 'direct contact' with his club; there has been 'no proposal at this stage.' He insists that Jamie Gittens is still considered out 'priority target', with further talks with Dortmund to come after we agreed personal terms with the player. Chelsea try to show Dortmund they've got other options This all smells like a classic negotiation tactic to us. We've always believed that Gittens is choice number one, and leaking details about bids for other players is a way of showing that we have other irons in the fire and won't be held to ransom over one name, no matter how keen on them we are. Dortmund probably won't be fooled either, and we will see how things develop once the Club World Cup is over and negotiations really start to fire up again.
