Sir Bradley Wiggins says he’s ‘lucky to be here’ after cocaine addiction

The five-time Olympic gold medalist made the revelation.

The 45-year-old Olympic Champion said his children wanted to put him in rehab, fearing that the addiction would kill him.

Sir Bradley said his addiction began when he retired from the sport.

He has now revealed that he has been clean for 12 months, and undergoes regular therapy sessions.

The five time Olympic gold medalist feels 'a lot more at peace' with himself.

Speaking to The Observer, he said there were times his son 'thought I was going to be found dead in the morning'.

"I was a functioning addict.

"People wouldn't realise. I was high most of the time for many years.

"I was walking a tightrope. I realised I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I'm lucky to be here."

His career ended in 2016, and the Tour de France winner made revelations about his father's jealousy, as well as being groomed by a coach as a child.

Having. being bankrupt last year, Sir Bradley praised infamous cyclist Lance Armstrong helped him with his recovery, and even offered to pay for therapy.

He told Cycling Weekly that his addiction 'was a way of easing that pain that I lived with'.

"I'm still figuring a lot of this out but what I have got is a lot more control of myself and my triggers; I'm a lot more at peace with myself now which is a really big thing," he said.