Ben Wiggins, son of 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, is set for the pro peloton in Europe next year after securing his first trade team contract. The 18-year-old has also just won his first world title, on the track, to add to the European Championships gold he claimed in 2022.
Wiggins Jnr took silver in the junior TT at the UCI World Road Championships in Scotland earlier this month. Last weekend he won the madison with another rising star of British cycling, Matthew Brennan, at the World Junior Track Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Wiggins, who is based in the Liverpool area, will be an U23 next year and having already won a junior Nations Cup stage race this season - Trophée Centre Morbihan (2.Ncup) - and built much of his success on his TT abilities, he has now secured a road contract for 2024.
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He will ride with the Hagens Berman Axeon-Jayco team, the top development squad run by Axel Merckx, which is becoming the feeder team for World Tour outfit Jayco AlUla. He will compete mainly in a series of U23 road races in Europe in 2024, but with opportunities to also ride against the pro riders in some events.
Ireland's Darren Rafferty has ridden for the same team this year and last season, and will step up to World Tour level with EF Education-EasyPost next year. Eddie Dunbar also came up through Merckx's team, and is currently a Team Jayco AlUla rider.
Wiggins said the decision to join Merckx's team was "a no brainer" as its reputation was so good and so many of its past riders had developed to secure contracts with World Tour teams.
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“I knew straight away that it was the right place for me to develop and try to get to the World Tour," he said. "Also the opportunity to work with Axel, who grew up in a very similar situation to me with our dads doing great things in the sport; I can’t think of anyone better to get advice and guidance from. I can’t wait to get started.”
He said he would work hard in races "whether that’s for my teammates or myself”. He also aimed to improve his “ability to climb in the mountains, as I think that’s something I struggle with on climbs longer than 5-10 minutes".
Merckx was also very enthusiastic about signing Wiggins, saying he wanted the team to "help contribute to his growth and development as an athlete".
"His 2nd place at this year’s World Championship showed his talent, but we all know there is still a long road ahead," Merckx said. "Ben and I both have a famous last name and I can try and help him navigate through everything that it brings. It’s not something very many people experience, so in that matter, we already have lots in common.”
