Team Sky said Wiggins will be kept in the hospital overnight for observation, but that "the injuries he sustained are not thought to be serious and he is expected to make a full and speedy recovery."

Britain's Press Association said Wiggins, who also won Olympic gold in the London Olympic Games this summer, suffered broken ribs as well as cuts and bruises in the accident in Wrightington, a village in the northern county of Lancashire. The car reportedly pulled out in front of him from a gas station.

Lancashire Police said the rider "was taken to hospital by ambulance with injuries not thought to be life-threatening."

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph quoted a garage attendant, Yasmin Smith, as saying that he attended to Wiggins, who was in "a lot of pain."

"He said he thought he had broken his ribs and while a lot of police cars arrived, it was about 15 minutes before the ambulance got there, by which time he was blue," Smith said.

Wiggins became a national hero after giving Britain its first Tour de France title. He then added a gold medal in the Olympic time trial and is widely expected to be knighted by the end of the year.

Earlier today British Cycling also confirmed that Shane Sutton, Head Coach for the GB Cycling Team, was involved in an incident this morning on the A6 near Levenshulme in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Sutton was reportedly taken into hospital where it was identified he has suffered bruising and bleeding on the brain. Sutton was wearing a helmet and is set to undergo more tests. Sutton is likely to stay in hospital for the next few days.

"It is extremely rare that our riders and coaches are hurt while out cycling on the road, even rarer that two incidents should occur in a short space of time, and we wish Shane and Bradley a speedy recovery," British Cycling said in a statement.