Lance Armstrong comes to Bradley Wiggins’ aid again – American funds 2012 Tour de France winner’s visit to top trauma counselling clinic in Utah
Cycling
Bradley Wiggins has revealed that he is travelling to the United States for an intensive week of trauma counselling — a visit to a Utah clinic funded by Lance Armstrong.
Speaking during a promotional event for his new autobiography The Chain, Wiggins said he was preparing to fly to America “on Friday” to begin therapy at a specialist centre, with the cost covered by Armstrong. The pair have grown increasingly close in recent years, with the American former Tour de France winner having offered Wiggins what he described as “a platform which doesn’t involve me getting on a bike.”
“I’m off to America on Friday,” Wiggins said, as quoted by The Telegraph. “He [Armstrong] has paid for me to go and see a top trauma counselling clinic in Utah, so I’m looking forward to that. He’s offered me a role back in cycling, a platform which doesn’t involve me getting on a bike.”
Wiggins credits Armstrong as a source of support
The 2012 Tour de France champion has spoken candidly in recent months about his experiences of childhood sexual abuse and his battles with cocaine addiction — subjects that are central to his new book. Through it all, he said, Armstrong has become a figure of strength and guidance.
“He’s been a great strength to me and a great inspiration to me, and it’s on a human level,” Wiggins told the BBC earlier this year. “Lance has been very, very good to me… You can only take someone how they treat you, and Lance has been a constant source of help and one of the main factors why I’m in this position I am today mentally and physically.”
The Briton first discussed the idea of therapy back in April, telling L’Équipe that Armstrong had recommended a course that had “changed his life.” “He told me that this therapy had changed his life,” Wiggins said. “It lasts a week — you spend ten hours a day in a room, without a phone, without anything. I don’t know what awaits me. We’ll see.”
Wiggins has been open and honest about his struggles
Armstrong’s growing role as mentor figure
Armstrong, banned for life from professional cycling and stripped of his seven Tour titles, has sought to re-establish himself in recent years through his The Move podcast and by helping others within the sport. He notably supported Jan Ullrich through his own addiction and mental-health battles, with the German later crediting Armstrong for “bringing him back to life.”
Now, a decade after both men fell from grace in very different ways, Armstrong is again extending that sense of solidarity — this time towards a Tour de France successor who is working to rebuild himself away from the spotlight.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment