Drug in Wiggins probe not seen as ‘problematic’
A MYSTERIOUS package delivered to Bradley Wiggins’s doctor during the 2011 Dauphine Libere contained the decongestant Fluimucil, Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford said on Monday.
UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) is probing alleged wrongdoing at Team Sky and British Cycling, who share headquarters, and the package, delivered by British Cycling coach Simon Cope, forms part of its investigation.
Brailsford had previously refused to clarify exactly what the package contained, but he now says Sky’s team doctor Richard Freeman told him it was Fluimucil, which is used for clearing mucus.
“Freeman told me it was Fluimucil for a nebuliser,” Brailsford told the all-party culture, media and sport committee – made up of British lawmakers – during a hearing about doping in sport in central London.
The Daily Mail has reported the package was delivered on the day Wiggins won the Dauphine Libere stage race in France, giving him the biggest victory of his career at that point.
It has emerged Wiggins was granted therapeutic use exemptions to take banned anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone before the 2011 Tour de France, the 2012 Tour, which he won, and the 2013 Giro d’Italia.
Five-time Olympic champion Wiggins, Cope, Brailsford and British Cycling have all strongly denied breaking anti-doping rules.
Brailsford said Wiggins’s medical records have been given to Ukad.
Damian Collins, chairman of the committee, said once the Ukad investigation came to a conclusion would there be closure.
Team Sky coach Shane Sutton said he was convinced Wiggins had not broken the rules. “Given the fact Dave Brailsford was probably the pioneer behind clean cycling and created what is probably the cleanest team in the world there was no wrongdoing there.
“I can’t state strongly enough there was no wrongdoing on any part of Brad and Team Sky.” Sutton became frustrated as the session progressed and at one point said he was “quite upset” Team Sky’s integrity was being questioned. — AFP