Bankruptcy claims against Bradley Wiggins' estate near the eye-watering £2 million mark

Once one of the faces of the sport of cycling, Bradley Wiggins has endured some much tougher times of late, with his Wiggins Rights Limited company entering voluntary liquidation in 2020 and earlier this year, the man himself being declared bankrupt. 

Things seem far from settled in the case against the 2012 Tour de France winner's company as well with the amount claimed to be owed rising from the initial £979,953.53 to creditors to the eye-watering £1,976,157.73. “During the prior reporting period, I received response from third parties regarding access to the Company’s Books and Records and have conducted interviews of key personnel. As a result of these investigations, I have been able to substantiate the increased claim within the Director’s [Wiggins’s] bankruptcy proceedings (increased to the sum of £1,976,157.73),” explains Georgina Eason, insolvency practitioner at MHA.

According to Wiggins’s barrister Alan Sellers, in quotes collected by Cycling Weekly, the former Olympic champion is just looking to move on from the whole debacle. “Following his bankruptcy this year, Bradley is rebuilding his life, generally and financially," Sellers says. “Ultimately, the debt from Wiggins Rights will be part of the bankruptcy which is being conducted by the trustee, and any assets or otherwise will be offset against any debt. Ultimately, it will be up to the trustee to decide what is owed and what isn't owed.”

“Historically, we've been instructed, as Bond Turner (the law firm ed.), to pursue various individuals and companies for negligent advice. Since the bankruptcy, those proceedings have essentially come to a stop because once you declare bankrupt, you need the permission of the the trustee in bankruptcy, to continue with any proposed or actual proceedings," continued Sellers. “As of today’s date I don’t have that permission, but I'm reasonably confident that we will get permission in due course.”

Speaking previously, Wiggins admitted his finances hadn't been managed well whilst he was riding. "One of the things I regret is I never paid attention to my financial affairs when I was racing," he told Lance Armstrong's The Move podcast. "Which is one of the things that happens to athletes. You make a lot of money and if you haven't got your eyes on it, people take advantage."