FILE PHOTO: Olympics - London 2012 Olympic Games - London - 1/8/12 Cycling - Road - Men's Individual Time Trial - Britain's Bradley Wiggins celebrates by kissing his gold medal after the race. Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul Childs Livepic
(Reuters) - Five-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins said that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has played a key role in his recovery from cocaine addiction, saying he feels "indebted" to the American.
Last month former Tour de France winner Wiggins said he became addicted to cocaine after his retirement from the sport in 2016 and was "lucky" after getting sober a year ago.
The 45-year-old described Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, as a "great strength and inspiration" after receiving his support since ending his career.
"Lance has been very, very good to me. That's not something everyone wants to hear because people only like to hear the bad stuff," Wiggins said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live on Friday.
"It's on a human level. You can only take someone how they treat you.
"Lance has been a source of inspiration to me and a constant source of help towards me and is one of the main factors why I'm in this position I am today mentally and physically, so, I'm indebted to him for that."
Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and collected a then-British record eight Olympic medals, including gold in the time trial at the 2012 London Games.
He is now collaborating on Armstrong's podcast The Move, where they will be covering this summer's Tour de France, and said their relationship has been grounded in mutual understanding beyond cycling.
In December last year, Wiggins said Armstrong had offered to fund his therapy for mental health issues.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
