“I threatened to leave the Tour” - Bradley Wiggins reflects on Froome’s 2012 attack and reconciliation years later

Bradley Wiggins’ 2012 Tour de France victory remains one of the most iconic achievements in British cycling history. But more than a decade later, Wiggins has opened up about the turmoil behind the scenes, particularly the moment his teammate Chris Froome attacked him on Stage 11 to La Toussuire.

The move shocked fans at the time. Froome rode clear of everyone, including race leader Wiggins, who was already in the yellow jersey and holding a two-minute advantage. What looked like a moment of impulsive ambition caused visible tension between the pair on the road and sparked wider questions about Team Sky’s leadership structure.

“I threatened to leave the Tour. I was leading by two minutes and I didn't expect that action at all," Wiggins has now admitted at the Wattage Festival.

Froome later claimed the move was strategic, motivated by concerns over bonus seconds. “Chris said he was worried about his position, because of the bonus seconds at the finish. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to catch Vincenzo Nibali in the time trial, so he wanted to gain as much time as possible. At that point I became collateral damage.”

While Team Sky kept the leadership issue contained enough to secure Wiggins’ historic win, the incident marked the beginning of a strained relationship between Britain’s first two Tour winners. Wiggins never competed in the Tour again after winning in 2012, and Froome went on to win the race four times himself.

Yet for years, the two remained publicly at odds.

However, Wiggins has now revealed that he was the one who re-initiated contact, at a low point in his post-cycling life. “I was high and drinking when I called him. I was in a depressive period at the time with a lot of self-loathing. Making up was part of it for me. I was very selfish during my career. That was not the person I wanted to be.”

The call led to an honest reckoning between two riders who were once central to British cycling’s golden era. “We were a threat to each other's ambitions, but now I understand that I have become a completely different person. That was liberating for me. We made up a few years ago. I told him then: Look ... I was an asshole, you were too and our team manager Brailsford was the biggest asshole. Then we kissed and hugged and from that moment on we are friends again.”