General Medical Council probes Team Sky’s ex medic Freeman

FORMER British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman is being investigated by the public body responsible for the behaviour of medical practitioners.

Dr Freeman was allowed to resign from British Cycling last year as it was agreed he was too unwell to face disciplinary action for failing to keep proper medical records during his time with the governing body and its professional off-shoot, Team Sky.

His position had become untenable due to his central role in the so-called ‘Jiffy bag’ affair, a crisis that erupted late in 2016 and has still not been satisfactorily resolved.

Last month, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) announced it was closing its investigation into the delivery of a package to Dr Freeman at the end of a race in France in 2011 because it could neither prove nor disprove the claim it contained triamcinolone, a banned performance-enhancing drug, that was allegedly administered to Team Sky’s star rider Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Dr Freeman, Wiggins and Team Sky have strongly denied this allegation but nobody has been able to find any evidence to prove it was, instead, a legal decongestant — a state of affairs not helped by Dr Freeman failing to share his medical notes with colleagues, contrary to protocol, and then losing his laptop while on holiday.

Dromore man Mark Downey’s hopes of a medal in the points race at the World Track Championships were dashed as he finished 11th yesterday.

Downey, 21, went in the event with high hopes of a podium spot after winning three World Cup gold medals. But despite being prominent for much of the race, he lost ground in the closing stages in the Netherlands.

Northern Ireland’s Lydia Boylan finished 17 th in the women’s omnium event.

Boylan said: “I’m disappointed with today’s race, but I’m going to have to put it behind me, re-focus and get ready for the Madison