Bradley Wiggins' father, Gary Wiggins, was a professional cyclist from Australia who had a troubled life. He abandoned Bradley when he was a baby and they reconnected only when Bradley was 18. Gary Wiggins was found unconscious and later died in suspicious circumstances in 2008 at the age of 55. Police described his death as suspicious and later confirmed he had been murdered.

This deeply affected Bradley, who spoke about the pain of abandonment and the impact it had on him throughout his life.