Updated at 23.55
TOUR DE FRANCE champion and Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins was in hospital on Wednesday after being hit by a car while riding his bike near his family home in Lancashire, north-west England, police said.
However, a police spokesman said the British cycling star’s injuries were “not thought to be life-threatening”.
Wiggins, 32, was thrown off his bike when hit by a car believed to have pulled out of a petrol station before colliding with him. Wiggins is known to often go for training rides on rural roads in the area.
The accident happened at approximately 6:00 pm (1800 GMT) in Wrightson, Lancashire, near Wiggins’s family home in Eccleston and took place just months after he called for drivers and cyclists to “co-exist” following a fatal accident near London’s Olympic Park.
The driver of the car that hit Wiggins, a local woman, was said to be unhurt.
A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “Police were called to the scene of a road traffic accident at Crow Orchard Road in Wrightington at about 6:00 pm this evening.
“A cyclist has been involved in a collision with a white Vauxhall Astra car. The rider of the bike, a 32-year-old local man, was taken to hospital by ambulance with injuries not thought to be life-threatening.
“His family have been told.”
Wiggins rides for Team Sky and in a statement on its website the British road race outfit said: “We can confirm that on Wednesday evening Bradley Wiggins was involved in a road traffic accident whilst riding his bike near his home in Lancashire.
“He is being kept in hospital overnight for observation but the injuries he has sustained are not thought to be serious and he is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.
“We will announce more details in due course.”
Accident investigators visited the scene but the road was not sealed off.
Garage attendant Yasmin Smith, who went to Wiggins’s aid, told the Lancashire Evening Post: “By the time I got there he had moved to a safer place but was still on the ground and he was in a lot of pain.“He said he thought he had broken his ribs and while a lot of police cars arrived it was about 15 minutes before the ambulance got there, by which time he was blue.”
This year saw Wiggins become the first British winner in the history of the Tour de France and, barely two weeks later, he also won the time trial at London 2012 in front of his home fans for a fourth career Olympic gold medal.
On the same August 1 day that Wiggins enjoyed his latest Games triumph, a cyclist was killed following a collision with an Olympic media shuttle bus just outside London’s Olympic Park.
Commenting on the accident Wiggins, who has consistently encouraged cyclists to wear protective helmets, said: “It’s dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic.
“I haven’t lived in London for 10 to 15 years now and it’s got a lot busier since I was riding a bike as a kid round here, and I got knocked off several times.“But I think things are improving to a degree — there are organisations out there who are attempting to make the roads safer for both parties.
“We’ve all got to co-exist on the roads.
“Cyclists are not ever going to go away as much as drivers moan, and as much as cyclists maybe moan about certain drivers they are never going to go away, so there’s got to be a bit of give and take.”
Imagine being the person to knock down a Tour de France champ! Morto! Hope he recovers ok!!
Fcekin cyclist always gettin in the way
Very mature comment on a serious topic Bobby….NOT!!Bicycles were around before cars so if anything cars are getting in the way!!
And who pays for the roads,who pays road tax,who pays insurance,who pays through the nose to supply cycle lanes that very few responsable cyclists actually use.
Just to let you know that I do respect cyclists and give way to them but there are a huge amount of total idiots out there that have feck all respect for their own life.
No lights or hi vis,dark cloths,darting between cars,cycling 2-3 abrest on dangerous roads need I go on ?.
A car averages about a ton, add in the momentum and road surfaces and a cyclist weighs a lot less…who do you think will come out the worse ?.
The cars have to pass a 12 monthly nct to deem them roadworthy,what about bikes ?.
There are a massive amount of idiot car drivers as well but an equal amount of cyclists.
@ Mike – No one pays road tax. You pay motor tax.
Also @ Mike – do you actually think that cyclists and motorists are two separate groups? That Bradley Wiggins doesn’t pay motor tax?
Who pays for the roads, Mike? Everyone who pays income tax, everyone who pays property tax, everyone who pays excise duty on their pint, everyone who pays VAT on their pint, or their new bike, or their bike repair, or their bike accessories. Many cyclists also pay motor tax for the car that they left sitting in their driveway because they don’t have time to sit in traffic. Research in the UK and US shows that cyclists on average are higher income earners, and therefore pay more tax than motorists on average. Cyclists are quite entitled to cycle 2 abreast, and often it’s the safest option, as it stops drivers trying to squeeze through without leaving decent room. And they are not obliged to use cycle tracks, many of which are littered with mushy, slippery leaves, broken glass, pedestrians, dog walkers with their lead stretched across the lane like the old Nazi piano wire trick, etc.
Mike is right on one thing. There are a massive amount of idiot car drivers as well but an equal amount of cyclists. Idiot car drivers frequently break the law by speeding, by phoning/texting/surfing in traffic, by failing to indicate, by failing to leave a decent bit of room when overtaking etc etc.
@ Shane.
Whats desperatly needed is education on all sides. I see near misses every day and the sad thing is that every one of them are avoidable if one or the other paid attention.
How half of the clowns behind the wheel of cars on the Irish roads actually qualify for a licence is beyond me.
I do wish Mr Baggins a speedy recovery and hope the incident dosn’t affect him
Hope he is ok.
I think that’s the UPC taking out the champions. Inside job.
I love Bradley Wiggins image. Very un-cyclist & totally 60′s Rock & Roll!
She obviously didn’t check her wiggins mirrors… apologies
?
brilliant pub story for whoever did it
next up: how lance armstrong scored some baking soda off me
McQuaid strikes again !
Much as I admire Wiggens, it’s clear that bikes and cars will never mix in the favour of the bike rider. Sad but true. I hope he gets well soon.
Is that a photo of his aul lad in the 60′s?
Fr Neil Horan out for a drive was he???
Apparently he’s being tested as we speak.
Get well soon Wiggo! I love that he looks like the Lovechild of Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher.
I wonder if he had his lights on.
@pamelaarchitect: Bradley Wiggins sorry to hear about your crash. Why don’t cyclists wear gas inflated safety vests now worn for cross country events?