Ben Wiggins may feel the pressure of living up to the achievements of his father, Bradley Wiggins, but he's not playing down his ambitions for his own nascent cycling career. The 17-year-old says he wants to become a world champion on the road and track at junior level in 2023, with dreams of winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as a professional in the longer-term.
Ben Wiggins has largely looked to avoid comparisons with his father, who won the Tour de France in 2012, as he has raced his first full season in the junior ranks this year. However, he was bolder in setting out his cycling dreams as he spoke to the Belgian media at t'Kuipke velodrome where he's in the 'future' field at the Gent Six Day - an event that's special to his family.
"This was my father's favourite place to race. His dad raced here as well, so three generations of Wiggins have raced on that track now," Ben Wiggins told Sporza.
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"It's a special place. It's the Mecca of cycling for hardcore cycling fans. I came here when he won with Cav in 2016. I hear stories all the time, my dad loves this place. It's hard to put into words. I got goosebumps just walking in. There's an atmosphere about the place you don't get anywhere else. It's special."
Like his father, Ben Wiggins combines track and road racing. He became European junior champion in the points race earlier this year and has also been learning the ropes on the road in Europe with the Fensham Howes-Mas junior team run by Tom Pidcock's father.
He admitted that his family name had made things "quite difficult" and brought "a lot of pressure" but also acknowledged "it comes with a lot of blessings as well". In any case, he wasn't shying away from aiming high.
"My goal next year is to be junior world champ on the road and track. It's big, but you have to have big ambitions otherwise there's no point really. I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability," he said.
"I'm quite similar to my dad, maybe, but there are a lot of similarities with my grandad, Gary, as well. My dad was quite skinny and I'm a bit bigger. I don't want to put a label on what I am yet because I'm still young. People said my dad would never be able to climb when he was younger. I want to win everything, so we'll have a go."
As for those long-term aspirations: "In an ideal world I'd be the best ever, but it's not always an ideal world," Wiggins said.
"My dream is to win Flanders and Roubaix, become world champion, and wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Hopefully go higher than that as well, even bigger. I feel like I've got the work ethic and ambition to do that. So yeah, keep watching me."
