Cycling: Sir Bradley Wiggins retires from cycling

Sir Bradley Wiggins announced his retirement from cycling on Wednesday.

The five-time Olympic champion and 2012 Tour de France winner said he had fulfilled his “childhood aspiration” of making a career out of riding a pushbike.

He added: “I’ve met my idols and ridden with and alongside the best for 20 years. 2016 is the end of the road for this chapter, onwards and upwards. Kids from Kilburn don’t win Olympic golds and the Tour de France! They do now.”

Wiggins became Britain’s most decorated Olympian in August with a team pursuit gold on the track in Rio, his fifth gold and eighth Olympic medal.

[BRADLEY WIGGINS’ CAREER HIGHS AND LOWS]

He clinched eight world titles on the road and track and set a world record for the furthest distance ridden in one hour.

“What will stick with me forever is the support and love from the public though thick and thin, all as a result of riding a pushbike for a living,” he added.

“2012 blew my mind and was a gas. Cycling has given me everything and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my wonderful wife Cath and our amazing kids.”

Wiggins and Team Sky, the professional team he won the 2012 Tour with, have been under scrutiny since September for his use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), after his confidential medical information was leaked by hackers.

The cyclist said he sought TUEs to “put himself back on a level playing field” having been given approval to do so by British authorities and cycling’s world governing body, the UCI.

There is no suggestion that he, British Cycling or Team Sky, his former team, have broken any rules.

Bradley Wiggins highlights

• He is Britain’s most decorated Olympian with five gold medals in his haul of eight

• He won eight world titles on the track and road

Year-by-year

• 2000: Wins first Olympic medal, bronze in Sydney

• 2004: First Briton to win three Olympic medals at same games since 1964

• 2008: Wins two gold medal at Beijing Olympics

• 2012: First British winner of Tour de France
  Wins time trial gold at London 2012
  BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner
  Velo d’Or winner (best cyclist of the year award)

• 2013: Knighted for services to cycling

• 2014: World road time trial winner

• 2015: Sets world hour record on the track at 54.526km