Sir Bradley Wiggins was an investor in the Cup Trust, which was used by donors to avoid paying tax

Sir Bradley Wiggins invested in a notorious tax avoidance scheme that used a charity as a front in an attempt to deprive the taxman of £100 million, The Times can reveal.

The five-time Olympic cycling champion and first Briton to win the Tour de France, who is battling to salvage his reputation after MPs accused him of using drugs to enhance his performance, can be named today as an investor in the Cup Trust.

The charity was closed down by the Charity Commission last year after this newspaper exposed how it was used by wealthy donors in a scam designed to avoid tens of millions of pounds in tax.

Wiggins, 37, is the first person to be identified as an investor in the scheme.