Hello, I'm Kirstie Young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of Desert Island Disks from BBC Radio 4.

For rights reasons, the music choices are shorter than in the radio broadcast.

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Radio 4. My My castaway this week is Sir Bradley Wiggins. For 10 days in 2012 he held the nation in his spell,

winning first the Tour de France and then an Olympic gold in

London, we all went wig out daft, eulogising over his speed and tactical genius and

wearing cut outside burns from the pages of the tabloids. A few days of national fervor and enduring pride for us then,

but a lifetime of focus, sacrifice and physical punishment for him. There are very few in his sport who triumph on both track and

road yet his appeal isn't just the huge number of medals and trophies he's

bagged. Off the saddle his sharp wit and even sharper style, give the impression of a man who

has a life beyond the climb, the inflamed tendons and the rampant will to win.

We shall see.

There can be little doubt that cycling's in his blood.

His parents met through the sport at the Paddington track

where his father would train, but his dad deserted the family

when Bradley was a toddler, and it was his mum and grandparents who

bathed the grazed elbows and knees and cheered the little fellow on as a youngster.

It's Sir Bradley now of course, but the worldwide fame and frenzied adulation don't seem to have dulled his will to win.

He will shortly attempt the world record for the furthest distance cycled in one hour.

He'll also be competing at the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He says,

I'm just a kid from London who happened to be good at cycling. So welcome Sir Bradley Wiggins.

I've also heard you say that as I've gotten older I've wanted more I've realized

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