A new Sky Atlantic documentary 'A Year In Yellow' looks back on an incredible and career defining 12 months for Bradley Wiggins. We talk to the director John Dower.
A new documentary looks back on an incredible 12 months for Bradley Wiggins. We talk to director John Dower
As the title reveals, John Dower's new documentary - 'Bradley Wiggins: A Year In Yellow' - focuses on Wiggins' successful bid to win the 2012 Tour de France.
It's beautifully shot, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny and is sprinkled with the straight-talking which has endeared Wiggins to the British public.
We first meet Wiggins during Christmas 2011 at his home in rural Lancashire. The Tour de France is just over six months away.
"Cut off, bit remote innit," he says in the opening line of the film before we see him relaxing in his chair drinking a cuppa while sporting one of his numerous Fred Perry shirts (he has since designed two collections for them).
"I'm a hermit at heart," he reveals later and you get the sense his perfect day would be locked away in a room listening to The Who and The Small Faces.
But then, of course, there's Bradley the cycling champ. The multiple Olympic gold medal winner, who is trying to defy the huge weight of history, the massive expectations and the gaze of millions by becoming the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France.
In other words, the man who wants to cut himself off has a huge (mod) target on his back.
It's this idea of two Bradleys which underpins the film and even those closest to him find the contrast hard to fathom - including wife Cath.
As a husband and dad to their two kids she describes him as "brilliant".
As the ultra-driven cycling perfectionist, she describes him (after asking if she can say a rude word) as a "bit of a t***".
It's Cath (an excellent cyclist herself) who keeps Bradley sane when the goldfish bowl existence he leads in the Tour de France gets too much while his kids also play a big part in keeping him grounded. He delights in telling how he was quickly brought down to earth on his triumphant return from Paris when son Ben needed to empty his bowels at the airport. "Dad, wipe me a***," recalls Wiggins in a high-pitched voice as Ben giggles over his shoulder.
The happy, loving relationship Wiggins enjoys with his own children again highlights a huge contrast - this time the one he had, or rather didn't have, with his dad.
Bradley's Australian father Garry (also a cyclist) walked out on the family when he was a toddler. With nowhere to go, they moved in with his Nan.
Wiggins explains matter-of-factly how Garry, who fell in with the wrong crowd, is believed to have been murdered at a house party in 2008 and his body dumped. There is no wobble in his voice. He formed no emotional bond with his father and has no regrets about not flying over for the funeral. "F*** him," says Wiggins, "he wasn't there for me."
Brutally frank
If his father did give him anything - Wiggins would probably be quick to shoot the idea down - it might be his non-conformist attitude to life.
Wiggins has had no media training, isn't afraid to wander into iffy territory about a certain disgraced entertainer in the Q&A that follows the premiere of the documentary and also admits that during The Olympics, which is covered at the end of the film, he questioned whether he should get involved with "Lord Coe and his band of merry men".
He's also brutally frank about Lance Armstrong who had all seven of his Tour de France wins rescinded after being exposed as a drugs cheat.
Typically, though, Wiggins uses
