Icons

My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.

By: Bradley Wiggins

Narrated by: Tom Watt

With a foreword by Eddy Merckx

The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins – a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans.

In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items – often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level.

By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport’s key figures – among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Tom Simpson – Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.

Critic reviews

‘If, like me, you’re a fan of cycling, you must have this book… Bradley’s collection of iconic jerseys is breath-taking and includes the 1949 yellow jersey of a personal hero of mine Fausto Coppi.’ – Paul Smith

‘Rather beautiful and an intriguing blend of cycling history and personal snippets.’ – The Guardian

‘An intriguing blend of historical research, fanboy memoir and candid confession’.’ – Cyclist

‘If you ever wanted to know about the events and people that influenced Bradley Wiggins' early cycling career and led to his love of the sport, then Icons is the book for you.’ – Road.cc

This book upsets you!

It really does. If you are into cycling (I guess you would have to be, to purchase this book), you feel unhappy that it is not you who have come up with this idea to write about your icons, the people who inspired you, or that even if you did, it would not be as cool because you’re not Bradley Wiggins.