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Froome turns up heat on Wiggins
CHRIS FROOME has heaped more pressure on Team Sky and former team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins by claiming sport’s anti-doping measures are ‘open to abuse’.
The three-time Tour de France winner also seemed to contradict the words of his Team Sky principal Sir David Brailsford by insisting he does not have a ‘win at all costs’ approach and has never pushed the boundaries of anti-doping rules.
And, in what appeared to reference Wiggins’ attempts to explain why he applied for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for a banned steroid days before his last three Grand Tours, Froome added he thought athletes needed to ‘take responsibility for themselves’.
In his statement, released yesterday on his Twitter page and titled ‘my view’, Froome said: ‘I take my position in sport very seriously and I know that I have to not only abide by the rules, but also go above and beyond that to set a good example both morally and ethically.
‘It is clear that the TUE system is open to abuse and I believe that this is something the UCI (cycling’s governing body) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) need to urgently address.
‘At the same time, there are athletes who not only abide by the rules that are in place, but also those of fair play.
‘I have never had a “win at all costs” approach in this regard. I am not looking to push the boundaries of the rules.
‘I believe that is something that athletes need to take responsibility for themselves, until more stringent protocols can be put in place.’
Froome’s words came just 24 hours after Brailsford publicly defended Wiggins’ use of triamcinolone before races and insisted TUEs were justified if the drug in question was being used as a preventative measure.
The Team Sky chief said on Monday: ‘I have always said: “Guys, you do not break the rules here whatever happens”.
‘I’m on record for saying: “There is a line. You can go up to that line. But you do not go over it. You do not cheat in this team in any way, shape or form”.’
Wiggins said he applied for TUEs to ‘put himself back on a level playing field’ and insisted he did not use them ‘to find a way to gain an unfair advantage’.
Froome and Wiggins’ use of medical exemption certificates were exposed by hacking group Fancy Bears earlier this month, with the documents showing Froome has twice been granted permission to take the banned steroid prednisolone in 2013 and 2014.
In Froome’s case, it was already known the cyclist suffered from exacerbated asthma and the leaks confirmed information previously in the public domain.
The debate over Wiggins’ use of banned drugs for medical purposes, however, continues to rage. Never have more questions been asked about the credibility and integrity of the cyclist and his former employers at Team Sky, with whom he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France.
Brailsford intends to speak to his riders, including Froome, to see if they will agree to have their TUEs published in an attempt to dismiss any secrecy around the process.
But while Froome called on anti-doping authorities and cycling’s governing body to address the system, WADA yesterday said athletes had a ‘fundamental human right’ to keep private medical information confidential and insisted the TUE process was ‘rigorous and necessary’.
In a statement, WADA said: ‘Nobody would want such information disclosed, let alone for it to be debated publicly.
‘Athletes should not be required to publish their TUE information, which may disclose their disease or condition, nor should they be required to publicly defend their legitimate use of a TUE.
‘The TUE programme is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport and has the overwhelming backing of athletes, physicians and all anti- doping stakeholders.’
Yet Scotland’s gold medal winning cyclist Callum Skinner yesterday released medical information dating back to his early childhood, which he hopes will prove he has been the victim of a malicious smear after his medical data was hacked by the Fancy Bears.
Skinner has had two TUEs in his career — one in 2014 and one in January this year, both to treat an asthmatic condition. His records reveal that he suffered his first asthmatic attack as a five-year-old and was admitted to a Glasgow hospital. He was hospitalised a further three times as a youngster. Writing in The Scotsman, Skinner (below) said: ‘I was keen to make my records public for two reasons: to prove that my condition is real, but also to show that asthma need not stop somebody competing at the highest level. ‘As I got more serious about cycling, I also got serious about trying to manage my asthma. I’ve had consultations with Professor Ashley Woodcock, one of the UK’s leading respiratory experts, and try to rely less, rather than more, on medication. I’ve done a lot of work with our nutritionist and I’m religious about taking omega pills and pre- and probiotics. ‘Sometimes, TUEs are necessary. ‘I had my second in January after falling ill, with a two-day treatment of salbutamol clearing up the problem and causing minimum disruption to my training. ‘I’m not claiming the TUE system is perfect. But I’ve no issue with my TUEs being made public. ‘If you’ve nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear.’
It is clear the TUE system is open to abuse and this must be addressed