Ben Wiggins thinks people shouldn't compare him to his father much: "If you look at my junior results compared to when he was a junior I’m actually a lot better than he was"
Track Cycling
There will be a familiar surname starting the junior men’s time trial at the UCI Cycling World Championships on Saturday, but step by step Ben Wiggins is building his own reputation separate to his famous father.
The 18-year-old, son of 2012 Tour de France winner and former Olympic champion Sir Bradley, feels his surname could work both ways as he begins to carve out his own career in cycling. "I think it’s more difficult to manage when it’s not going so well," the younger Wiggins told STV.
"Say you’ve had a few bad races or whatever, I don’t know if it’s just in my own head, but you start to think about what people are thinking or saying. People are always going to compare me to him but actually if you look at my junior results compared to when he was a junior I’m actually a lot better than he was," he adds.
"There’s not much advice he can really give you," he said about the presence of his father. "If you think about it, it’s 25 years since he rode a junior race himself and the sport has changed so much. It’s more just the presence there than any advice."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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