The 2012 road cycling season might have ended, but Tour de France and Olympic time trial champion Bradley Wiggins will be keeping his profile high over the winter. The 32-year-old is the subject of a forthcoming Sky TV show as well as two books that are bound to figure on many cycling fans’ Christmas wish list, and he is also teaming up with his hero Paul Weller for a Boxing Day radio show to be broadcast on BBC Radio 6.
The first of those two books, called My Time, co-written with William Fotheringham, is Wiggins’ second autobiography following 2008’s In Pursuit of Glory, published after the Beijing Olympics. The paperback edition of that book also included the 2009 Tour de France, with Wiggins confirmed this week as having finished that race in third place overall after Lance Armstrong’s disqualification.
My Time is released by Yellow Jersey Press on 8 November, although the Guardian will be publishing extracts next week and Wiggins also makes the cover of the newspaper’s magazine tomorrow, which carries an exclusive interview with the Team Sky star, and there's a brief clip of Wiggins talking about the book on his Facebook page.
The second book, 21 Days To Glory, follows Team Sky’s campaign at this year’s Tour de France and includes exclusive interviews with the team’s riders as well as featuring photography by Scott Mitchell, who spent the season embedded with the British ProTeam and previously collaborated with Wiggins on the book On Tour which followed his rather lacklustre first Tour de France as a Sky rider in 2010.
Bradley Wiggins – A Year In Yellow airs on Sky Atlantic HD on Wednesday 21 November at 10pm and is directed by John Dower, whose previous work includes Thriller in Manila. The feature-length documentary follows Wiggins throughout the year in which he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France.
“It’s good that John stalking me for an entire year has paid off,” said Wiggins. “This film is a great insight into my life and my experiences training for and competing in the Tour de France and the Olympics.”
Dower added: “The first time I met Bradley he said, ‘I don’t know who me is.’ To be able to follow him over the last year, as he attempted this extraordinary double of the Tour de France Yellow Jersey and the Olympic Gold, and discover who he is was one of the highlights of my filmmaking career.”
Wiggins has also collaborated with Paul Weller of The Jam and Style Council fame to record a one-off show to be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music on Boxing Day. A video clip released by the BBC shows the pair being interviewed by the BBC’s Colin Murray who also hosts the broadcaster’s new cycling show, BeSpoke, which begins tonight on Radio 5 Live at 9pm.
After Murray floats the idea that Weller might invite Wiggins, who has a decent collection of guitars, to play along on a future B-side, the cyclist, blushing slightly, says “we’ll leave that one to the professionals – I wouldn’t expect Paul to come and ride up Alpe d’Huez with me in altitude training before the Tour next year… I’m quite happy to leave that one to the professionals.”
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Weller and Wiggins can come stay with us if they want
So because we're not making childish snipes at him that makes us fanboys? Righto.
It's the classic modern cynics mentality: from the Moon landings - to Wiggins winning the TDF clean. 'I'm not happy with my life and achievements- therefore I cannot enjoy others success or public appreciation of that success without feeling inadequate and wanting to smear it"
There's millions out there: 35+, still living at home with their mum doing their washing. The sad thing is the reaction such people most covet is from the target of their scorn - in this case Wiggins - who doesn't read this or give a toss.
I'm happy for Wiggins. He's a damn sight more interesting to listen to then most sportsmen. He's worked hard and deserves to hang out with his heroes on radio shows. I'd like to see him on the Ronnie Wood Show talking Small Faces.
Oooh Sky fans getting their bib shorts in a twist.
Wiggins was cool in 2006 when he called out the dopers then, but not when he is toking in 2012 and calling critics names.
But dont let Leinders, Yates, Julich, Rogers (ex Ferarri) and Barry get in your way.
It seems youre getting yer bib shorts in a twist too ...... What makes ya wanna pick fault? Thats a genuine question by the way
Yeah, and he just popped up out of nowhere - shit rider before July wasn't he?
So honoured to be in the (virtual) company of such greats as can pick holes in Wiggo.
Wiggin's doing well to milk it for now as he has not got a hope next year and after that he'll be too old unless he can take more marginal gains than the others
Yeah he's a bit average right, was kinda lucky to win it by over 3 minutes and win Olympic Gold TT by 42 seconds.
Must be great sitting in your armchair knowing *everything* there is to know about cycling. See you on the Alpe d'Huez next year right?
Even if the Tour win was the only win in his career it would still be, arguably, the greatest British cycling achievement ever. But that's not all by a long shot is it? Making childish snipes just makes you sound like an ill informed Daily Mail reader.
Weller for Alp d'Huez I say