I had suicidal thoughts, says Jiffy bag doc

THE doctor at the centre of the Team Sky Jiffy bag scandal finally broke his silence last night. In an interview with the BBC, Richard Freeman expressed his regret at giving Sir Bradley Wiggins a controversial corticosteroid, admitting that in hindsight he would have advised the Tour de France winner of the ‘reputational risk’. Wiggins came in for heavy criticism in 2016 when Russian hackers published medical records that revealed he had obtained a Therapeutic Use Exemption certificate (TUE) on three occasions to take triamcinolone, including before his historic 2012 Tour win. Wiggins claimed he used the drug, which has a history of abuse in cycling because it can assist weight loss, legally to treat asthma and allergy problems. Now Freeman (below), the doctor who was suspended and then resigned from his role as team doctor for British Cycling after it emerged he had not kept a record of a medical package delivered for Wiggins in 2011, has given his first interview since the storm first erupted. Citing ill-health, Freeman said he was unable to participate in an internal probe at British Cycling and also failed to attend a parliamentary hearing. He has also rejected attempts by Sportsmail to speak to him since this newspaper broke the story of the Jiffy bag, which was central to an investigation by UK Anti-Doping officials that was eventually closed because of ‘a lack of accurate medical records’. But he has now written a book, due to be published later this week, and given at least two media interviews. Freeman, who now claims his mental illness was so severe he had ‘suicidal thoughts’, was asked by the BBC if he would now reconsider the use of triamcinolone to treat Wiggins. ‘Unfortunately, on medical grounds, I’d [act differently],’ he said. ‘I’d also advise him there’s a reputational risk here.’ In the interview Freeman, who at one stage worked simultaneously for both Team Sky and British Cycling, was unable to provide evidence that the Jiffy bag contained a legal decongestant — UKAD investigated an allegation that it contained triamcinolone — because his laptop was stolen. He admits his record keeping ‘could have been a lot better’ and he is ‘sorry’ he had no back-up system. He also said he was unable to explain a delivery of testosterone patches to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester while he remains under investigation by the General Medical Council. British Cycling issued a statement to the BBC, saying: ‘We are disappointed that Dr Richard Freeman has chosen to publish this book having refused to fully participate in our investigation into record keeping and medicines management. We hope publication confirms Dr Freeman’s return to good health and therefore his willingness to partake in the resolution of outstanding inquiries.’