Sir Bradley Wiggins has revealed the shocking moment he destroyed his knighthood in front of his devastated children. The legendary cyclist became the first British rider to win the Tour de France in 2012 before claiming Olympic gold in the time trial on London's streets. But following his triumph, he battled drug addiction - a struggle which wrecked his marriage and nearly killed him.

Wiggins disclosed that during his darkest moments with addiction, he smashed his knighthood whilst his two children watched. In his forthcoming book, he wrote: "I raged as I smashed up my 2012 trophy for Sports Personality of the Year and my knighthood: 'This isn't success'. I did that in front of my kids. No wonder there were times when they talked about trying to put me in rehab."

Wiggins has previously confessed his son, Ben, who is now a professional cyclist too, feared for his father's life.

The Tour champion also confessed to snorting cocaine off his gold medal.

"The desecration of my Olympic medal might have happened away from their gaze but it's equally sad to reflect on," he continued.

"Hundreds of thousands of people roaring me on, millions more watching at home.

"One of the great moments of London 2012, and there I am in a wardrobe, snorting cocaine [off my gold medal], mocking my achievement, hating it for what I believed it had brought me.

"It was the equivalent of p****** on someone's grave, and in that moment I was p****** on my own.

"The gold medal, the Tour de France, all of it was dead to me. The person I'd been in Paris and London was dead to me too."

Wiggins found support in an unlikely ally: the disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. The American, who lost his seven Tour titles after confessing to doping, offered to fund therapy for Wiggins.

Having been in recovery for over a year, Wiggins now maintains a positive relationship with Ben, Bella and his former wife Cath.