The multiple fallen winner of the Tour de France provided valuable advice to another winner of the Grande Boucle.
Lance Armstrong does not leave cycling fans indifferent. For some, he no longer has anything to do in the cycling world and has even ruined the image of cycling by winning the Tour de France seven times thanks to doping, while also refusing to confess for several years. For others, it is difficult to deny his performances and his legend, especially after beating cancer.
Very discreet in the media, Lance Armstrong nevertheless always keeps an eye on the performances of his elders and does not hesitate to lend a helping hand to certain former champions who are in difficulty in the sporting, private and even financial sphere. This is particularly the case of the British Bradley Wiggins. Facing serious financial difficulties for several years, the former winner of the 2012 Tour de France was even homeless. In the podcast “The High Performance”he admitted to receiving unexpected help from Lance Armstrong.
With debts to pay off, mental health issues and alcohol-related issues, Bradley Wiggins hit rock bottom a few years ago. “Lance has helped me a lot over the years and even more this year. He wants to pay for me to stay in a specialized center in Atlanta. You stay there for a week and they confiscate your phone. Lance is a good man. And I’m not saying that to excuse what he did, we all know that, but (what he suffered) it’s a little disproportionate to what some people do in this world,” explained. the former Sky rider.
A funny situation because Bradley Wiggins himself had thrown Lance Armstrong into pasture during his confession to Oprah Winfrey. “It’s very difficult. I had to explain to my son what it was about. In the end, I told myself that he deserved everything that was happening to him now, without any sympathy in front of his tears and his tears,” said the Briton at the time.
After hesitation, he finally accepted the American’s help because at the time of his retirement from sport, Bradley Wiggins “hated cycling”. This sport is notably linked to a heavy trauma suffered by the British during his childhood, since he was abused by his first trainer for 3 years. This help allowed him to get better and move forward. “I’ve sorted out my mind. I’ve finally taken responsibility for my own life and I think my best years are yet to come,” he concluded in this podcast.