Wiggins withdraws cash from tax-avoidance scheme

Rule of thumb: Bradley Wiggins is favourite to win Sports Personality (PA)

Olympic and Tour de France cycling hero Bradley Wiggins has withdrawn from a controversial tax-avoidance scheme, he said today.

The 32-year-old was criticised last week after it was revealed he was using a scheme named Twofold First Services, reportedly owned by a company based in the Cayman Islands.

He told The Guardian: "I had a small investment in Twofold, following guidance from my professional advisers.

"I had, however, claimed no tax relief of any amount in regard to this investment. Given the concerns raised about it, I have now instructed my advisers to withdraw me from the scheme with immediate effect."

In an interview with the newspaper Wiggins went on to describe his frustration at the revelations of Lance Armstrong's organised doping.

He said: "The anger is more: I've got to pick up the pieces. He's still a multi-millionaire, and he's not here to answer the questions. I can't not answer them because I've got to go and race next year, and I hate talking about it."

The cyclist, who is the strong favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, said there were a number of drawbacks to his success.

He said: "I wouldn't say I wish I hadn't won the Tour, but sometimes, especially with recent events, the Lance Armstrong stuff, I find it hard being the winner of the Tour and everything that goes with it.

"I wanted to be the winner for the challenge of what the sporting event is about and how hard you can train to do that, and I never wanted all the stuff that went with it."

He also revealed that he finds it difficult to cope with being recognised by fans when he is out with his family.

He said: "They ask your wife to take the photo, which is a bit rude. And after a while that becomes tiresome, especially when you're having a pizza with your children, or you have to have a photo with somebody else's kids while yours stand to the side."

He added: "There comes a point when I've got to start getting on with my life. It would be hard to live my life as it is forever."

PA