What does it take to be a champion cyclist?

Bradley Wiggins on his victory lap following his Tour De France victory - July 22nd, 2012 Congratulations to Bradley Wiggins, the first Briton to ever win the Tour De France. Wiggins ended the race three minutes and twenty one seconds ahead of team-mate Christopher Froome.

It's a great achievement... but what makes a champion?

It's a mixture of human and machine...

Explore how victory is won on two wheels in our four-part series, The Science Behind The Bike:

• The history of the Hour Record
• The technology of bike design
• The physiology of the cyclist
• The scientific forces faced by cyclists

More on what makes a champion...

• The Physical Olympian: How does physique shape sporting performance?

Could you be champion?

• Try our Olympisize Me game to see what sport you'd be suited to - and if you could be a champion

Really understand sports

• Find out how to study sports with The Open University