Varnish voices discontent over report

Jess Varnish is “disappointed” criticisms of British Cycling in an independent report were diluted from an earlier, leaked draft and upset she was not given the chance to reply to claims about her.

The report, by a five-strong panel led by British Rowing chair Annamarie Phelps, was published on Wednesday.

Co-commissioned by British Cycling and funding agency UK Sport, the report’s final assessment was highly critical of the governing body’s leadership and its handling of Varnish’s abrupt removal from the GB cycling team last year.

Those criticisms, however, and many others, were considerably milder than a draft written on February 28, which was leaked to the Daily Mail.

In fact, the final report was seven pages shorter than the February draft.

Phelps denied suggestions on Wednesday that the panel’s final take was a “whitewash”, saying some language had been changed “in light of new information”, but the core message remained and it was still “very strong...very critical”.

The reference to “new information” relates to the responses the panel received as part of a legal process known as Maxwellisation, which gives those criticised in a report the right to correct factual errors and make further representations to balance the picture.

One of Varnish’s lawyers, Tom Barnard, said the rider was not given the opportunity to make such a response.