Dame Sarah Storey has expressed her concern over Sir Bradley Wiggins' descent from a celebrated cycling icon to bankruptcy, highlighting the broader financial challenges athletes often encounter. Wiggins, who shot to fame with his Tour de France victory and Olympic gold medal at London 2012, was declared bankrupt this year, a stark contrast to his previous success.

"I haven’t seen Bradley for a long time. I have followed his story and it is obviously really sad to see a former team-mate go through what he is going through," said Storey, the record-breaking 19-time Paralympic champion. She pointed out that while there is support available for athletes, it may not be adequate for those who reach megastar status.

"There is support around for athletes, but when you are a megastar, whether that generic support provided is suitable is a really big question. " Storey also touched on the difficulty of seeking help due to pride and the high expectations placed on top athletes. "You have a lot of pride because you are the person that everyone has on a pedestal, so seeking help is hard."

The Paralympic legend has been proactive in advising younger athletes about financial management, drawing from her own experience working with Scottish Widows before the 2012 Games, as reported by City AM. "I have always tried to mentor younger athletes to be really aware of their finances. I was very fortunate to spend five years working with Scottish Widows before the Games in 2012

"One of the things that is really stark is the lack of preparation athletes have for things like pensions and investments with a look to their future.Most athletes get to the age of 30 and they receive a letter from HMRC telling them that they owe thousands of pounds in National Insurance contributions because they didn’t even realise they had to pay them once they left education. It is incredibly sad and I hope he bounces back."

Storey is hoping to follow in Wiggins' footsteps by winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year title on Tuesday. She finds herself among a six-strong shortlist that includes the likes of 800m sensation Keely Hodgkinson and darts wonderkid Luke Littler, alongside football's Jude Bellingham, cricket's Joe Root, and triathlete Alex Yee.

Yet, despite his historic feats, fellow cyclist Mark Cavendish has been notably omitted even after surpassing Eddy Merckx's legendary record for Tour de France stage wins. Commenting on her nomination, Storey, aged 47, remarked: "I would love to have shared the list with Cav. Equally, if we can get a cyclist back on to the top then it would be amazing to be able to represent not just the whole of the world of cycling, but also the whole of the ParalympicsGB team, as well as mums of a certain age and women who would play sport across so many different communities."