LONDON — Ben Wiggins, the 21-year-old son of five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins, has signed his first professional contract with Australian WorldTour outfit Jayco-Alula after a breakthrough 2026 highlighted by the Combativity Award on day five of the Tour of Britain and a top-10 overall finish in the men's race in September.
The world junior individual time trial silver medallist from 2023 said stepping up to the WorldTour has been a long-held ambition dating back to a visit to the team as a teenager. "It's a really special feeling to be joining the World Tour next year and to be racing for Team Jayco Alula is a dream come true," Wiggins said. "I remember being at the Tour de France in 2019 and I was lucky enough to be invited around the bus the morning that Matteo Trentin won the stage for the team into Gap. Ever since that day, I wanted to ride for the team. I can't wait to be a part of the races I've watched since I was a kid."
Wiggins began his cycling career in 2022 as a junior rider for Fensham Howes-MAS Design before moving in 2024 to United States-based Hagens Berman-Jayco, the development team managed by Axel Merckx — the son of five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx. His father Bradley, who became Great Britain's first Tour de France winner in 2012 and retired from the sport 10 years ago, has seen his son progress steadily through the junior and under-23 ranks.
That progress accelerated in a successful 2026, with victory in the Under-23 national time trial title adding to his Tour of Britain display to earn promotion to the WorldTour with Jayco-Alula for next season.