Bradley Wiggins backs Muhammad Ali knighthood campaign

Sir Bradley Wiggins today backed the campaign to award an honorary knighthood to Muhammad Ali, saying it would be a “just reward” to a man who “transcended sport”.

The Olympic and Tour de France champion cyclist told the Standard he supported an online petition set up by former world heavyweight boxing champion David Haye.

Wiggins, who is a huge boxing fan and collector of Ali memorabilia, said: “There are not many people in the world that carry that kind of aura. He has done so much for so many people in so many different ways. He has transcended sport. I think it would be a just reward.”

More than 23,000 people have signed the petition calling on David Cameron to ask the Queen to bestow the honour on Ali. Officials this week began considering the appeal, which has also been backed by Mo Farah, Sir Bob Geldof and Boris Johnson.

Ali, 74, was forced through ill health to cancel a visit to London to mark the opening of an exhibition at the O2 into his life, called I Am The Greatest. His wife Lonnie said she hoped he would be able to attend before it closes on August 31.

Wiggins is currently designing a range of children’s bikes that will be sold through Halfords, where he bought his first racing bike, an Apollo, aged 12.

He said they will feature his trademark “bulls-eye” logo and designs developed for his record-breaking attempt on The Hour, when he rode further than any other rider in 60 minutes at the Olympic Velodrome last year.

He claimed the bikes would be faster than those bearing the names of other cycling legends — Victoria Pendleton, Chris Hoy and Chris Boardman. “It’s been an idea for a couple of years, along with clothing, to target kids at grass-roots level. I didn’t think anyone was doing it, or doing it well,” he said.

“It was important that if I was going to do it, it had to be genuine. The Hour designs are the concept. Kids are inspired by that. They go into the shop and they want the bike you ride, without the £10,000 or £15,000 price tag.

“When I started I was riding at the Lee Valley, on the old Eastway circuit. It was only a £100 bicycle, but at that age it felt like the best thing in the world for me,” he added.