Probe into Sky rider’s needle use
Painkiller medic had team links
THE latest crisis engulfing Team Sky deepened last night after cycling’s world governing body launched an investigation into claims by a former rider that the team covered up his breach of rules on injections. Josh Edmondson told the BBC he was given tramadol by a Team Sky doctor at the 2013 Tour of Britain, with Team Sky insisting that it was the race doctor who had administered the controversial painkiller.
Sportsmail can reveal that Andrew Meliak, the 2013 Tour doctor, worked for Team Sky on a freelance basis two years before the race. Last night Meliak was unavailable for comment.
THE race doctor Team Sky say administered a controversial painkiller to one of their riders worked for them on a freelance basis two years earlier.
Former Sky rider Josh Edmondson, whose claims of needle use in a BBC interview are being investigated by the International Cycling Union, said he was given tramadol during the 2013 Tour of Britain.
Sky have said previously that their cyclists stopped using a drug with potentially dangerous side-effects in 2012 but Edmondson told the BBC he was given the drug during the race by a Team Sky doctor. Team Sky insist that it was the race doctor.
Now Sportsmail can perhaps explain the confusion because Andrew Meilak, the 2013 Tour of Britain doctor, had previously worked for Team Sky in 2011.
Last night a Team Sky spokesman confirmed Meilak was ‘one of the docs who did days with us as an “on race” doctor in 2011’.
Meilak was unavailable for comment last night but Edmondson has said he suffered from severe depression because of an addiction he developed for tramadol, which many want banned from cycling because of concern about its hallucinogenic effects.
Edmondson’s claims that he broke governing body UCI’s no needles rules and that it was covered up by Team Sky, have certainly caught the attention.
Edmondson told the BBC he gave himself vitamin injections and that Team Sky did not report him when he was caught with intravenous equipment.
Team Sky insist they broke no rules because there was no real evidence Edmondson had, in fact, injected himself in 2014. The rider said he confessed before Team Sky decided not to renew his contract.
A UCI statement yesterday confirmed that they had seen the BBC report, adding: ‘The Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation is in touch with UK Anti-Doping to assess the matter.’
Team Sky say one reason why they decided against reporting Edmondson was because of concerns for his mental health.
They said in a statement on Thursday: ‘We were satisfied that, while there had been a breach of team policies, there was no evidence of any anti- doping violation having taken place.
‘Dr Steve Peters (then Sky’s head of medicine) expressed concern regarding Josh’s well-being and judged that he should be offered professional support. The decision not to make (it) public was taken with the team’s duty of athlete care in mind.’
That contradicts Team Sky performance manager Rod Ellingworth said after Edmondson was let go. Ellingworth blamed Edmondson’s disorganisation, lack of professionalism and poor communication.