Shamed Sutton may have got job back but for Jiffy bag
BRITISH Cycling’s controversial former technical director Shane Sutton enjoyed such stringent support in the upper echelons of the governing body last year that there was an internal lobby to reinstate him even as it was known he would be found guilty of discriminatory behaviour, sources say.
But the ‘Jiffy bag incident’ of 2011 becoming public knowledge last autumn put British Cycling (BC) into a tailspin. The pro-Sutton lobby withdrew to reconsider their next move, insiders say. BC and Britain’s Team Sky — where Sutton worked alongside his long-time pal Sir Dave Brailsford for years — remain in crisis because of the notorious delivery via BC to Team Sky.
Sutton resigned last April after claims of sexism and derogatory comments about Paralympic cyclists. He was found guilty by BC of sexist language but cleared of bullying. In spite of this, a coterie of high-ranked officials started an informal lobby to get him back to work, in part swayed by the ‘allpowerful’ influence of Sutton and Brailsford.
Former mountain bike champion Jenny Copnall said: ‘Almost everything [negative] led back to the heavily ring-fenced duo heading high performance, namely Shane Sutton and Dave Brailsford. It was, and is, common knowledge that the Board ran scared of those two, and that was evident in every appeal process that passed the Board.’
Other sources say Brailsford and Sutton were among the most cited names by witnesses when UK Sport conducted its review of the culture of British Cycling. Copnall gave evidence as did multiple others, and included was the claim of a culture of omerta (secrecy) within wider British cycling on issues ranging from drugs to bullying and financial mis-practice.
Sutton has said it was he who arranged for the Jiffy bag, the contents of which remain unconfirmed, to be sent to France for treatment for Bradley Wiggins. Sutton told MPs he never knew what was in it.
Dr Richard Freeman, who works with Team Sky, apparently ordered it to be sent but failed to appear before Parliament last week, citing illness.
The courier, British cycling coach Simon Cope, did appear and in a farcical session admitted fiddling his expenses but denied knowing what was in the package.