Sir Bradley Wiggins reveals he was sexually groomed as a child by cycling coach

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins has revealed he was sexually groomed as a child by his cycling coach and has opened up on his battle with depression.

The Tour de France winner has spoken in the past about his difficult and often traumatic childhood, having witnessed the murder of his secondary school headmaster when he was 15.

Such scenes were not uncommon on the Kilburn council estate Wiggins grew up on, while in 2008 his estranged father – who left the family when the cyclist was just 18 months old – was murdered in Australia.

Wiggins has always said he had a ‘dysfunctional’ upbringing, but now he has opened up for the first time on the sexual abuse he suffered as a teenager and how that has shaped his life.

Speaking to Men’s Health UK, Wiggins said: ‘I was groomed by a coach when I was younger – I was about 13 – and I never fully accepted that.’

Asked if he was groomed sexually by the coach and whether it affected his adult life, Wiggins continued: ‘Yes. It all impacted me as an adult… I buried it.

‘My stepfather was quite violent to me, he used to call me a f****t for wearing Lycra and stuff, so I didn’t think I could tell him.

‘I was such a loner… I just wanted to get out of the environment. I became so insular. I was quite a strange teenager in many ways and I think the drive on the bike stemmed from adversity.’

Despite his father having been absent for much of his life, Wiggins – who did not fly to Australia for the funeral – feels his death was a defining moment in his life and something which still feels unresolved with no-one ever charged for the murder.

Asked if he has tried to run away from anything in his life, Wiggins responded: ‘It was definitely to do with my dad. Never getting answers when he