Bradley Wiggins wins Criterium du Dauphine in 2011. Now events on that day are under investigation by UK Anti Doping and Team Sky is under real pressure (Photo: Sirotti)
Having been under extreme pressure since last month when details of Bradley Wiggins's TUEs were leaked by the Russian Fancy Bears hacking team, Team Sky has been forced to defend itself today.
After news reports emerged that UK Anti Doping had “raided” British Cycling’s offices in Manchester as part of its new inquiry into the delivery of a medical packaged to Team Sky in France in 2011, the team issued a statement.
"Given some of the recent headlines we wanted to set out the facts,” the statement says.
“Team Sky was recently contacted by the Daily Mail regarding an allegation of wrongdoing which we strongly refute.
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“We informed British Cycling of the allegation and asked them to contact UK Anti Doping (Ukad). We understand that Ukad are currently investigating this as you would expect."
“Some newspapers this morning have reported that Team Sky and British Cycling were ‘raided’ by Ukad yesterday. This was not the case.
“Ukad have confirmed they attended a meeting with British Cycling at the Velodrome in Manchester with their full cooperation.
“We welcome this investigation as we are confident there has been no wrongdoing. We take these issues seriously and we will cooperate fully with Ukad. We hope it can be completed as thoroughly and quickly as possible."
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“In the meantime we hope that you will understand why we cannot comment on the specifics of the allegations or the details of the process.
"Team Sky abides by the rules. We are committed to clean competition and we want you to know that we 100 per cent stand by that.”
At least two officials from Ukad went to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester on Friday as part of the agency’s inquiry into the delivery of a medical package by a member of staff at British Cycling to Team Sky at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2011 on the day Wiggins won the race.
Ukad is also examining the allegation by former British international Jonathan Tiernan Locke – who rode with Team Sky but was banned for EPO use – that Tramadol was freely offered by British Cycling at the 2012 World Championships.
Dr Richard Freeman has been placed in media reports at the centre of that allegation, though Tramadol is not banned.
And it has also been suggested in reports on the latest controversy that Dr Freeman had a private session with Wiggins immediately after the end of the Dauphine in 2011, though Team Sky has said that is not true.
Having a private session with a doctor is obviously not against any rules. However, Dr Freeman was the medic within Team Sky who applied for Wiggins’s triamcinolone TUEs before the Tours in 2011 and 2012 and Giro in 2013.
The Daily Mail on Thursday night carried the first news report of the 2011 “medical package” and the Ukad inquiry into it.
British Cycling confirmed to its reporters that a member of its coaching staff had travelled to La Toussuire in France with medication requested by Team Sky on June 12th, 2011.
The Mail report stated British Cycling was unable to say what was in the package or who it was for because of doctor-patient confidentiality.
But the federation said it did not contain triamcinolone; the substance at the centre of Wiggins’s TUE controversy.
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