‘I would love to know how long have they known’
Chris Froome reacts to ‘scandalous’ possibility that Wada sat on data for his salbutamol tests
Chris Froome said last night it would be “scandalous” if it emerged that Wada had sat on unpublished data proving its salbutamol tests were not fit for purpose, although he stopped short of saying he would sue world anti-doping’s governing body if it emerged that it had.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on the eve of the 105th Tour de France, which begins in the Vendee region on France’s west coast today, Froome was reacting to the developments of the last few days.
The UCI’S decision earlier this week to close its nine-month investigation into a “presumed” Adverse Analytical Finding returned by Froome at last September’s Vuelta a Espana led to calls for the full reasoned decision to be released, with many accusing Team Sky of having “bought justice”.
Cycling’s world governing body released a statement yesterday, however, reiterating that its decision to drop the case was based on advice from Wada, who, it noted, had “access to information that UCI does not, including ongoing and unpublished studies on the excretion of salbutamol (which is – as confirmed by Wada’s scientific director – subject to considerable variations)”.
Asked about these “unpublished reports” and what evidence they might contain, Wada told The Daily Telegraph it was not within its gift to make them public.
“Pursuant to the terms of the funding agreement with the research teams and Wada, it is the research teams that have ownership of the data/studies. Therefore, we cannot provide you with unpublished data either from completed or ongoing projects,” said a spokesman.
Froome said he “very much hoped” the unpublished reports would become public knowledge in time, adding that he would like to know how long Wada had access to them, given how badly his reputation has been damaged over the past six months by an affair which was dragged into the public domain in December when it was leaked to the media.
Since the case closed, one scientist who was responsible for drawing up Wada’s threshold test has already publicly admitted the test was flawed.
“How long have they known this for? I’d love to know,” Froome said. “If it’s data they have had from the very beginning, then it does make a mockery of the proceedings and it would be scandalous.”
Asked whether he would contemplate bringing a civil lawsuit against Wada or the UCI if that was the case, Froome said: “It’s not something I’ve ever really given thought to, especially on the eve of the Tour. I’m more concentrating on getting through the next few weeks.
“But to be honest, right from the word go I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. I mean, the [salbutamol] limit is 16 puffs and I went nowhere near the limit. If I took 15 puffs maybe I would have been scratching my head saying, ‘Did I count right?’ But I was nearer to half that number. So I knew there was no way I could have been near 16. That from the very beginning has kept me going.”
Froome was generally in upbeat
mood as he prepared to get his race under way despite an unsettling reception at Thursday’s team presentation in La Roche-sur-yon. The four-time Tour champion, who is chasing a record-equalling fifth title this year, found himself drowned out by a chorus of boos as he tried to answer questions on stage.
Froome, though, denied that the hostile reception had got to him. Nor was he worried about his safety over the next three weeks, with Tour security chiefs saying they will have more than 30,000 agents deployed to protect the riders.
“I have to block all that out,” he said. “I’m used to it. It wouldn’t be the Tour de France without a bit of edginess here or there. Hopefully the racing will be so full-on there won’t be time to even think about anything outside of the race.”
Froome said he was thankful he was able to count on the support of his team-mates at this race. The
Daily Telegraph understands Team Sky’s riders had a World Cup sweepstake at the start of the quarter-finals, with Froome drawing hosts Russia. Colombian starlet Egan Bernal – Sky’s youngest rider in this race at just 21 but someone who has been tipped to make a big impression in this Tour – drew England, while Geraint Thomas got England’s quarter-final opponents, Sweden.
Froome said he expected the first nine days of the race to be “brutal”, certainly until the cobbles of Paris-roubaix are behind them.
“It’s going to be about survival,” he predicted. “And not missing out on opportunities, particularly on the cobbles [stage nine]. Then once we reach the mountains, that is when the racing will start.”
He finished by saying he was hopeful public opinion would change as the full details of the case emerged. He also said he would gladly sit down with Bernard Hinault, France’s five-time Tour champion, who did more than most to whip up anti-froome sentiment in the weeks leading up to the race, urging Froome’s rivals to strike if the Briton showed up in France.
“I’d shake his hand and ask if he wanted a drink some time,” Froome replied when asked what he would say to Hinault the next time their paths crossed. “I really would. I’ve got on well with him in the past. And you can see from his comments that he has got the wrong end of the stick.
“I’m sure [the unpublished data] will be published. I would certainly welcome [Wada] to publish it. The sooner the better.”