Brailsford earns Froome backing
‘WITHOUT HIM THERE WILL BE NO TEAM SKY’ Embattled boss insists he will not resign his position.
Three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome finally rallied to the defence of under-fire Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford yesterday. Brailsford, the man behind Great Britain’s rise as an Olympic cycling superpower, has been under intense scrutiny but has insisted he will not resign from his Sky post despite being engulfed in rows over doping and sexism.
British Cycling was already reeling from revelations it mishandled the drugs records of star rider Bradley Wiggins, when Brailsford was labelled “untouchable” in a leaked review published on Friday of how the national governing body handled sexism allegations against a leading coach.
Froome’s silence had led to suggestions he was trying to distance himself from Brailsford as Team Sky colleague Geraint Thomas offered his support.
But a statement yesterday saw Froome, the Tour de France champion in 2013, 2015 and 2016, offer his backing to Brailsford.
“With respect to Dave Brailsford, he has created one of the best sports teams in the world,” Froome said. “Without Dave B, there is no Team Sky.
“He has supported me throughout the last seven years of my career and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities.
“By his own admission, mistakes have been made, but protocols have been put in place to ensure that those same mistakes will not be made again.”
British anti-doping authorities are investigating Sky and British Cycling over a package delivered to now retired Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France champion, at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine.
Questions have also been asked over three “therapeutic use exemptions” or TUEs, granted to five-time Olympic champion Wiggins in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
It has been alleged that the package contained the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone.
Wiggins has faced repeated questions since Russian hackers Fancy Bears revealed documents in September which showed he received TUEs for triamcinolone.
TUEs are official waivers allowing athletes to use otherwise banned substances for the treatment of legitimate medical conditions.
Wiggins, however, has always denied any wrongdoing and insisted he needed the treatment to deal with a pollen allergy. – AFP