Bradley Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins is a very British sporting hero: unassuming, private, given to a sardonic sense of humour and a strong appreciation for those that have supported him throughout – his family and fans. He is also a fiercely determined competitor, a supremely passionate athlete and an eloquent ambassador for his beloved sport. Not to mention a phenomenal cyclist.

Wiggo first shot to attention as a 20-year-old, taking a bronze medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Six Olympic medals later, and after one of cycling's most tumultuous periods as it battled the dope cheats – Wiggins himself suffered in this war as his team withdrew from the 2007 Tour de France after one of his teammates was caught – Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky assembled in Liege, Belgium for the start of the 2012 Tour.

Those 12 years and the weeks that followed - from the Tour de France to the incredible gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics - are retold in this Guardian Short, a unique collection of world-class sports writing featuring the likes of William Fotheringham, Donald McRae – and Bradley Wiggins himself.