Only 10 days after being crowned on the Champs-Élysées, Wiggins stormed to a fourth Olympic gold medal in 50:39.54 on the 44km time-trial course ahead of world champion Tony Martin and fellow Brit Chris Froome - his seventh Olympic medal eclipsing Sir Steve Redgrave’s tally of six medals, on the back of his historic Tour de France win with Team Sky.

After competing in Saturday’s road race, Wiggins paced his ride superbly and led at both the 18.4km and 29.9km mark. The latest medal in a glittering collection means Wiggins has won gold at three successive Games, success in Athens in the individual pursuit along with the defence of that title and a team pursuit crown in Beijing.

“I can’t put it into words, it wouldn’t do it justice,” Wiggins said. “It was incredible, to win an Olympic gold in your own city in the velodrome or whatever with three of four thousand people cheering you on would have been incredible but to do it round the streets, phenomenal.

"Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Chris Hoy is an absolute honour."

Bradley Wiggins

“Just going through Kingston there at the end the noise was amazing and I don’t think my sporting career will ever top that. What a month it has been, I won the Tour de France and the time-trial at the London Olympic Games, it is never going to get better than that.

“It had to be gold today or nothing. What's the point of seven medals if they're not the right colour? Mainly it's about the four golds. Now I have to go to Rio and go for five.

“Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Chris Hoy is an absolute honour and to be up there with those guys as a British Olympian, it’s very special.”

Chris Froome, second to Wiggins in the Tour de France, made it two cycling medals on the day for Team GB with a determined ride for bronze.

British Cycling president Brian Cookson hailed the duo’s achievement: "Bradley Wiggins has confirmed his status as a true British sporting hero and a cycling great.

"Having watched Bradley come through the British Cycling system, I am delighted to see him become the country's most successful Olympian. To do what he has done takes incredible hard work and dedication so he has earned all the praise which will come his way.

"And what a year it has been for Chris Froome - second in the Tour de France and winning Team GB's third cycling medal of London 2012."