18 Facts About Gary Wiggins

Gary Wiggins was an Australian professional cyclist, who specialised in six-day racing.

Gary Wiggins's son is the British cyclist, five-time Olympic champion and 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.

The young Gary Wiggins showed ability in cycling, and participated in cycling competitions around Victoria and Australia, becoming the National Junior Track champion.

Gary Wiggins had a surge of speed at the end of races, which won sprint finishes.

Gary Wiggins married as a teenager and had a daughter Shannon, but left his family and Australia for the United Kingdom in 1974.

Gary Wiggins raced as an amateur for Archer Road Club in west London.

The marriage broke down in 1982 and for 14 years Gary Wiggins had no contact with his son, who returned to London with his mother.

Gary Wiggins raced on the Continent for nine years; during this period he partied hard and had a reputation as a supplier of amphetamines to other riders.

Gary Wiggins was successful on the European Kermesse circuit including in 1981 beating Lucien Van Impe at Eeklo in Belgium.

Gary Wiggins retired from professional cycling and returned permanently to Australia after a crash in Copenhagen in January 1987.

Gary Wiggins worked as a housepainter in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, in later years.

Gary Wiggins remarried and had a second daughter, but this marriage failed.

On 25 January 2008, Gary Wiggins was found unconscious in Segenhoe Street, Aberdeen.

Gary Wiggins was taken to nearby Muswellbrook Hospital before being airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he died.

The coroner's inquest found that the evening before, Gary Wiggins had attended a party at a house in Aberdeen, but soon had fought with the man who lived at the house.

Gary Wiggins had been thrown to the ground several times and ejected from the party.

An open verdict on the cause of death was returned, due to lack of evidence: it was not possible to determine whether the head trauma had been received during the fight at the party, or if Gary Wiggins had hit his head in falling.

Gary Wiggins' sister has continued to publicly question the verdict and has requested that the police investigation be reopened.