‘SAD’ WIGGINS VOWS TO CLEAR HIS NAME
LONDON: British cycling great Bradley Wiggins said it was “so sad” after he and his former team were accused by British MPs of manipulating drug rules before major races, including Wiggins’ 2012 Tour de France victory.
A report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee of the House of Commons published on Monday, accused Wiggins and other Team Sky riders of using the drug triamcinolone not for its recognized purpose as an asthma treatment, but because it helped them lose weight without compromising their power in the saddle.
Russian computer hackers revealed three years ago that Wiggins had applied for therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), which allowed riders to have injections of otherwise banned drugs, permitting him to take the powerful corticosteroid.
United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) launched an inquiry in September 2016 after the British newspaper the Daily Mail reported a mystery package meant for the now-retired Wiggins had been delivered to Team Sky during a 2011 race in France.
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But the 37-year-old Wiggins, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, said in a statement: “I find it so sad that accusations can be made, where people can be accused of things they have never done which are then regarded as facts.
“I strongly refute the claim that any drug was used without medical need. I hope to have my say in the next few days and put my side across.”
His comments were backed up by Team Sky, who said they were “surprised and disappointed” the committee has chosen to present an anonymous claim in this way.
One thing the various inquiries did uncover was the extent of the close relationship between a Team Sky founded by Dave Brailsford and his old employers at British Cycling where he initiated the program, that led to a slew of Olympic medals.
British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington said the DCMS report was “thorough and timely,” adding in a reference to Team Sky: “Never again will we allow a situation to develop whereby our independence as the national governing body is called into question because of our relationship with a professional team.”