Cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins announces retirement

Five-time Olympic champion, Sir Bradley Wiggins, has announced his retirement from cycling at the age of 36.

After nearly 20 years of cycling professionally around the world, Sir Bradley Wiggins was the first Brit to win the Tour de France and has become Britain's most decorated Olympian.

His cool, laid-back attitude made him hugely popular in the summer of 2012, when just 10 days after winning the Tour de France, he won Olympic time trial gold in London.

Later that year, the public voted him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Sir Wiggo

Bradley Wiggins became Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2013 and was knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, for services to cycling.

Speaking at the time he said the title was an "incredible honour".

"It's quite humbling," he added. "I was talking to some of the other people getting stuff, and asking them what they've been honoured for, and they're historic things, ground-breaking sciences or whatever.

"I've won a bike race, you know, and I feel a little bit inferior to everyone, really."

Wiggins' big wins

2000 - wins first Olympic medal, bronze in Sydney

2004 - first Briton to win three Olympic medals at same games since 1964

2008 - wins two gold medals at Beijing Olympics

2012 - first British winner of Tour de France

2012 - BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner

2012 - Velo d'Or winner (best cyclist of the year award)

2013 - knighted for services to cycling

2014 - world road time trial winner

2015 - sets world hour record on the track at 54.526km

2016 - wins team pursuit gold at Rio Olympics

Won eight world titles on the track and road

Britain's most decorated Olympian with five gold medals in his haul of eight

Controversy

In September 2016, hackers leaked confidential medical information about Sir Bradley Wiggins and the medicine he was allowed to take because of a rule called Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUEs).

This rule allows some drugs - which would otherwise be banned - to be used if an athlete needs them for medical reasons that have been checked out by the authorities.

Wiggins said he sought a Therapeutic Use Exemption because of suffering from asthma.

The TUEs were approved by British authorities and cycling's world governing body, the UCI.

There is no suggestion that either he, British Cycling or Team Sky, his former team, have broken any rules.