FREEMAN’S CLAIMS ARE LIES, SAYS PETERS
STEVE PETERS, a former medical boss at British Cycling and leading psychiatrist who has worked with the England football squad, has accused Dr richard Freeman of lying at the medical tribunal that is gripping the sport.
In a witness statement, former Team Sky and British Cycling medic Freeman — who is accused of ordering banned testosterone ‘knowing or believing’ it was to improve an athlete’s performance — made a number of explosive claims against his former boss.
They included the allegation that Professor Peters had given the green light for unregulated medicines to be handed to senior management and selected staff free of charge. Freeman described that as a contribution to the marginal-gains mantra at the heart of the all- conquering Team Sky and British Cycling teams.
But in a searing response issued last night, Peters said Freeman was ‘attempting to make excuses for his actions’ and described some of the former medic’s allegations against him — made under oath — as ‘false’ and ‘untrue’.
The strongly-worded statement deals with each claim separately. With regards to the allegation he gave the go-ahead for unregulated medicines to be given to senior management and selected staff, Peters says ‘this is simply untrue’ and adds ‘there is no evidence’.
Freeman has also stated that under Peters’ instruction, British Cycling ran medical operations separate from the rest of Team GB at the London and rio Olympics.
But Peters says he left British Cycling in 2014 and was not involved in any planning for rio. He adds that he worked directly with the British Olympic Association medical team in London.
Freeman, 60, claims that he treated Peters, who had told him not to pass on details of the consultation to his GP. Peters says he did not have a GP at the time ‘so this is a false claim’.
In response to Freeman’s allegation that Peters told him to treat senior management and staff members, Peters says it was commonplace for staff to be treated ‘in emergencies and during any team-related travel and work’.
‘It is very sad and disappointing that someone whom I have supported through personal troubles for many years should now choose to cast allegations that attempt to undermine me in order, presumably, to make excuses for his actions,’ concluded Peters, 67. ‘Despite this, I hope richard can soon get through this troubling time.’
At the fit-to-practise hearing itself, Freeman denied claims he doped riders, declaring: ‘I have never doped a rider and I would never consider it in any circumstance, at any time.’ He continues to claim the 30 sachets of Testogel delivered to the Manchester Velodrome in 2011 were for former coach Shane Sutton to treat his alleged erectile dysfunction.
The case has so far heard of smashed laptops, descriptions of treatments for erectile dysfunction and featured Sutton angrily claiming his wife wanted to ‘come here and testify’ that he had no problem with his sexual performance.
The hearing continues.