Exemption surprises

Cycling: One of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ former team doctors has expressed surprise at the decision to allow him to use a triamcinolone ahead of three major races. Prentice Steffen questioned the decision of the International Cycling Union to grant Wiggins a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the powerful corticosteroid triamcinolone, which he was permitted to take just days before the 2012 Tour de France, which he won, as well as the 2011 Tour and the 2013 Giro d’Italia. Steffen was Wiggins’ doctor at Garmin Slipstream, with whom he finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France before the Briton joined Team Sky. Steffen has told the BBC’s Newsnight programme the leaked details of Wiggins’ TUEs don’t ‘‘look good’’. He said: ‘‘I was surprised to see there were TUEs documented for intramuscular triamcinolone just before three major events – two Tours de France and one Tour d’Italia.’’