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Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong playing surprise role in Bradley Wiggins’ drug addiction recovery
Lance Armstrong has been putting his past misdemeanours to good use. The disgraced American cyclist who famously confessed to doping in 2013 has been keeping a low profile since he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Lance Armstrong has been putting his time to good use following his life ban from cyclingGetty Armstrong used performance-enhancing throughout his career and after an investigation, he was banned for life from all sanctioned cycling events. But the 53-year-old has been quietly assisting his former rivals as they battled through their own demons. Armstrong previously lent a helping hand to 1997 Tour winner Jan Ulrich in his fight against drugs and alcohol and now it has been revealed that the American was at the side of Sir Bradley Wiggins. The five-time Olympic gold medallist and former Tour de France winner fell foul of debt and addiction which had a profound effect on his family. The concern spanned to Armstrong who worried for Wiggins’ health as he spiralled down a slippery slope. Wiggins quit his addiction a year ago and opened up about the depths of his habit and Armstrong’s support. “He’d been through a similar thing with Jan,” Wiggins told The Observer of Armstrong’s support. “They’d (family) try and get hold of me, but couldn’t find where I was.” “My son speaks to Lance a lot. He’d ask my son, ‘How’s your Dad?’ Ben would say, ‘I’ve not heard from him for a couple of weeks, I know he’s living in a hotel.’ “They wouldn’t hear from me for days on end. I can talk about these things candidly now. There was an element of me living a lie, in not talking about it. Bradley Wiggins began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to road cycling.Getty Wiggins is one of Britain’s most decorated sportsmenGetty “There’s no middle ground for me. I can’t just have a glass of wine. If I have a glass of wine, then I’m buying drugs. My proclivity to addiction was easing the pain that I lived with.” The former BBC sports personality of the year also revealed the pain and suffering endured by his son who was on hand to see the destruction caused by his father’s inherent cocaine use. “There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,” said Wiggins. “I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise. I was high most of the time for many years.” “I was doing s***loads of cocaine. I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope. “I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here. I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years. “I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realised I was hurting a lot of people around me.” Wiggins will reveal all about his life and career in his autobiography titled The Chain, which details his childhood trauma and addiction, set for release later this year.
Lance Armstrong has been putting his past misdemeanours to good use.
The disgraced American cyclist who famously confessed to doping in 2013 has been keeping a low profile since he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
Armstrong used performance-enhancing throughout his career and after an investigation, he was banned for life from all sanctioned cycling events.
But the 53-year-old has been quietly assisting his former rivals as they battled through their own demons.
Armstrong previously lent a helping hand to 1997 Tour winner Jan Ulrich in his fight against drugs and alcohol and now it has been revealed that the American was at the side of Sir Bradley Wiggins.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist and former Tour de France winner fell foul of debt and addiction which had a profound effect on his family.
The concern spanned to Armstrong who worried for Wiggins’ health as he spiralled down a slippery slope.
Wiggins quit his addiction a year ago and opened up about the depths of his habit and Armstrong’s support.
“He’d been through a similar thing with Jan,” Wiggins told The Observer of Armstrong’s support.
“They’d (family) try and get hold of me, but couldn’t find where I was.”
“My son speaks to Lance a lot. He’d ask my son, ‘How’s your Dad?’ Ben would say, ‘I’ve not heard from him for a couple of weeks, I know he’s living in a hotel.’
“They wouldn’t hear from me for days on end. I can talk about these things candidly now. There was an element of me living a lie, in not talking about it.
“There’s no middle ground for me. I can’t just have a glass of wine. If I have a glass of wine, then I’m buying drugs. My proclivity to addiction was easing the pain that I lived with.”
The former BBC sports personality of the year also revealed the pain and suffering endured by his son who was on hand to see the destruction caused by his father’s inherent cocaine use.
“There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,” said Wiggins. “I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realise. I was high most of the time for many years.”
“I was doing s***loads of cocaine. I had a really bad problem. My kids were going to put me in rehab. I was walking a tightrope.
“I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here. I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years.
“I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realised I was hurting a lot of people around me.”
Wiggins will reveal all about his life and career in his autobiography titled The Chain, which details his childhood trauma and addiction, set for release later this year.
