Maurice Burton reveals the harsh truths about Bradley Wiggins' father - and why Bradley's middle name is Marc And another thing, they weren't wearing any shoes, just barefoot, my dad just couldn't believe it. I suppose that's an Aussie thing. We knocked about quite a bit. He was there that day I won the National 20 kilometre title in Leicester - in fact I won it using his front wheel. I had punctured earlier in the day, he didn't make the final so he lent me his wheel. He was a bit flash when he started making money. I've never really asked if Brad knows why his middle name is Marc. Well as I remember it just before Brad was born in 1980 that Gary had bought himself a nice second hand BMW with his prize money. When Brad came along he wanted Marc as a middle name so his son could also be BMW. Well that's how Gary told it anyway. We rode together a fair bit, amateur and professional on the continent, and we enjoyed one memorable trip to America when we roomed together. He could be good company for a few beers and he had to have people around him but it wasn't easy being a friend of Gary Wiggins. I never had any problems, he didn't mess with me or give me grief but it didn't do anything to upset him. If he was high on something or other or in a mood he would go off on one. "He was a quite a good rider but used different "things" to make himself go as good as possible and had been doing that since he came to London and started racing in Paddington. Gary couldn't sleep at night afterwards he was so high. He was at it all the time. He didn't have a line he wouldn't cross, whatever it was Gary would do it. He didn't care. I've seen a rider turn up at a race and give Gary a syringe and he didn't know what it was and he didn't care. He just put it in, just like that. He would do anything if he thought he was going to win and it would help him get where he wanted to go. He was ruthless in that way. He wasn't all bad but he would drop you just as quick as he found you if you became surplus to requirements.