Review: An Evening With Bradley Wiggins, York Barbican, November 15
BRADLEY Wiggins, Olympic cycling champion and Tour De France winner, showed his more human side at York Barbican – up to a point.
The evening featured television presenter Matt Barbett as an anchor, firing questions at Wiggins and chipping in with humour and banter. Barbett did a good job of keeping things light, running through audience questions in the second half.
A video secren showed photographs and videos from Wiggins’ life, and Wiggins brought his medals (in a plastic bag). The cyclist claimed that he no longer cares about the medals or other trappings of success, but when Barbett underestimated the number of medals won at an Olympics, Wiggins instantly corrected him.
Repeatedly through the evening, Wiggins dismissed the trappings of success and mentioned the importance of a stable home life for his children. He also referred to his admiration for his wife (a cardiologist).
There were moments of vulnerability: "I’m fundamentally a flawed character", he revealed at one point, and repeatedly he said that elite sportsmen are selfish and guarded, which was apposite. He showed his distaste for Lance Armstrong at more than one point. too.
Wiggins overcame a difficult childhood (his father walked out when Wiggins junior was an infant) by becoming an obsessive cyclist, following a pattern set down by his father (and also emulated by Bradley’s son).
Wiggins' father was murdered in 2008. "His life was tragic," he said at one point. There was a deeper narrative here about abandonment, the need to achieve, and family ties, but it was only fleetingly touched on.
Had Wiggins and Barbett delved a little deeper, it could have been very powerful. But being blokes in front of blokes, they preferred banter and laughs. It was informative and entertaining – as far as it went.
Miles Salter
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