LONDON -- Former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins has revealed that he was sexually groomed by a coach when he was 13 years old.
Speaking in an interview with Men's Health UK, Wiggins said he did not tell anyone about the abuse he received due to his difficult relationship with his stepfather and that it continued to impact his life into adulthood.
"I was groomed by a coach when I was younger -- I was about 13 -- and I never fully accepted that," Wiggins said.
Asked if he was groomed sexually, Wiggins said: "Yes. It all impacted me as an adult ... I buried it."
British Cycling said on Tuesday that their safeguarding team had reached out to Wiggins.
We are deeply concerned by the matter raised by Sir Bradley Wiggins and our safeguarding team has made contact with him today to offer our full support," British Cycling said in a statement.
"We would encourage anybody who has suffered abuse or has concerns about the welfare of others -- regardless of when the incident took place -- to utilise the support offered both by our trained team at British Cycling and the dedicated NSPCC Helpline which in turn helps us to ensure that our sport is a safe and welcoming place for all."
Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France in 2012, as well as winning five Olympic gold medals at the Athens, Beijing, London and Rio Games. He retired from the sport in 2016.
The British cyclist also addressed his battle with depression, describing the period of unprecedented success as "probably the unhappiest" period of his life.