EX-TEAM SKY COACH RAGES: I’M NO DOPER
FORMER Team Sky head coach and British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton stormed out of a medical tribunal, furiously denying he was a “doper”.
Sutton cut short his witness evidence, branding Dr Richard Freeman “spineless” for staying behind a screen at the hearing to determine the former Sky medic’s fitness to practise medicine.
Dr Freeman is alleged to have ordered a batch of 30 Testogel sachets at the national velodrome in Manchester eight years ago, knowing or believing it was to help an athlete enhance performance in breach of anti-doping laws – which he denies.
In explosive exchanges between Sutton (above) and Freeman’s counsel Mary O’Rourke QC, the Aussie mentor was branded a “serial liar” and a “doper with a doping history”. And Sutton denied a suggestion that the Testogel was to treat his alleged erectile dysfunction, scowling: “My wife wants to come here and testify you’re a liar.”
Miss O’Rourke claimed witnesses had alleged Sutton was “a liar, a doper and a bully”. But he responded by telling Freeman to “take down the screen”, “man up” and “look me in the eye”. After two hours of cross-examination, Sutton announced he was leaving and departed as he ranted: “He is hiding behind a screen, which is spineless. Richard, you’re a spineless individual.
“I don’t need to be dragged through this s***fight she is dragging me through personally. Am I the one on trial here? I feel like I’m the criminal. It wasn’t for me and I never ordered it.”
Sutton suggested he would be prepared to take a lie-detector test to prove he did not order the Testogel sachets.