LONDON (Reuters) – Bradley Wiggins survived everything the Tour de France could throw at him then gritted his teeth through the agony of the Olympic time trial but, like so many other British cyclists, he eventually fell victim to the dreaded white van.

Wiggins spent Wednesday night in hospital with minor rib injuries and cuts and bruises after being knocked off his bike by a white van outside a petrol station.

“White Van Man” is now a reference for drivers in white vans who show a disregard for other road users, although no blame is being apportioned for what happened on Wednesday when he was out for a training ride near his home in Lancashire, northern England.

Wiggins might be in line to be crowned Britain’s sports personality of the year after becoming the country’s first Tour champion then added his fourth Olympic gold but to his local police force he remained just another one of the thousands of cyclists hurt by cars in Britain every year.

“A cyclist has been involved in a collision with a white Vauxhall Astra van. The rider of the bike, a 32-year-old local man, was taken to hospital by ambulance with injuries not thought to be life-threatening,” Lancashire Police said in a statement.

Team Sky also issued a statement late on Wednesday, identifying their man as the victim, and adding: “He is being kept in hospital overnight for observation but the injuries he has sustained are not thought to be serious and he is expected to make a full and speedy recovery.”

The Daily Telegraph quoted the female van driver as saying: “I can’t believe it. Of all the people to hit, bloody Bradley Wiggins.”

Yasmin Smith, 21, an attendant at the garage, told the local Lancashire Evening News that Wiggins had to wait 15 minutes for an ambulance.

“I was in the back room making a cup of tea when I heard the screeching of a tire and a massive bang,” she said.

“I shot out of the garage and I saw a gentleman sitting on the pavement. He was going a bit blue, his color was changing.

“The wing mirror was cleaned off the van so it must have been at force (that he was hit).

“I put my arm around him and said ‘come on back to the car.’ He was in pain and said ‘I think I’ve broken my ribs.'”

Speaking on ITV on Thursday, Smith said that the van driver was shaken by the incident.

“She was very upset, even more upset when the police actually said ‘do you realize who you’ve hit?’,” she said.

“That really put her back, because obviously she felt bad enough.”

Team Sky will issue an update on Wiggins’ condition later on Thursday.

(Editing by Mike Collett)