Bradley Wiggins’ bankruptcy claim grows to $1 million

This article originally appeared on Velo News

This story originally appeared on CyclingTips.

The financial woes of Bradley Wiggins show no sign of abating as the winner of the 2012 Tour de France disputes a PS1 million (about $1.2 million) claim made against him by the liquidators of his companies.

“Wiggins Rights Limited,” a holding company, entered voluntary liquidation in 2020 with debts of PS650,000, while the holding company of Team Wiggins was also wound up with debts of PS587,800.

According to Cycling Weekly, the British magazine having followed the story closely, Wiggins is disputing the PS1 million claim by accountancy firm MHA Macintyre Hudson that is acting as administrators in the case.

After a review of Wiggins' companies' books, the firm increased the amount being sought to PS979,953 (up from PS760,373) and Wiggins is understood to be selling a property in order to raise funds.

According to administrators’ documents from September, Wiggins is in an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), a financial setup designed to help people pay back creditors and stave off bankruptcy.

The administrators report that an offer for a property that is "the primary asset within the IVA" has been accepted. Administrators expect that to help pay back PS600,695.

Some 14 creditors to Wiggins Rights Limited are said to be owed PS749,223, including HMRC (the British equivalent of the IRS) that has submitted a claim for PS313,447.

In 2020 it was reported that HMRC was planning on bringing a bankruptcy petition to Wiggins but his lawyers came to an arrangement and the petition was dismissed.

Included in this list of current creditors is New Team Cycling Limited, the company through which Team Wiggins was run, and which also entered administration alongside Wiggins Rights Limited in late 2020.

Administrators are currently trying to locate cycling equipment and motor vehicles owned by the company which could be used to pay back creditors, but a spokesperson for Wiggins said they had been stolen and a police investigation was ongoing.

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