‘WARNING SYSTEM’ TO CATCH CYCLING CHEATS THWARTED

SENIOR officials at British Cycling proposed establishing an internal ‘early warning system’ that might help them flag up cheating riders in early 2016 as preparations for the Rio Olympics intensified, Sportsmail can reveal. Sources say the proposal was discussed by figures including Andy Harrison, Programmes Director at British Cycling, Shane Sutton, then head coach, and Dr Richard Freeman and other staff who were copied into internal correspondence. The proposal was put to British Cycling’s sports and ethics commission, who discussed the matter and agreed to ask UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) for access to riders’ Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) data which monitors irregularities that may indicate doping. UKAD ultimately said they were not at liberty to share this ABP information due to privacy and data laws, so the scheme did not go ahead. The idea for the plan was rooted in how the global governing body of cycling, the UCI, hadd traditionally allowed cycling teams, including Team Sky, to have their own early warning systems. Freeman suggested British Cycling should have monthly reports on their riders that would be coded either green (no concerns), amber (some concerns) or red (get ready for a possible adverse passport finding by UKAD or the UCI). Team Sky and British Cycling shared common personnel over many years, including Sutton, Freeman and Dave Brailsford. British Cycling has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks after Freeman was struck off as a doctor — pending appeal — after a General Medical Council tribunal found him guilty of ordering banned testosterone in 2011, knowing or believing it was to dope a rider. Freeman maintained his innocence through the tribunal and no direct evidence of a doped rider was produced during the proceedings. Prior to the 2016 Olympics British Cycling were keen to have their own internal ‘alert system’ for their Olympic riders, similar to the one that road cycling teamst including Team Sky wwere allowed. Freeman, Fre with the agreement of Harrison, circulated an email in January that year saying: ‘I agree that we put a proposal to theth [BC sports and ethics] eth commission re the [ ABP].’

He suggested asking each rider on the ABP monitoring programme to submit their monthly ABP test results on a voluntary basis to him ‘for statistical analysis similar to that performed by the anti-doping agencies. This is an opportunity to assess frequency of testing and give warning of target testing.’ Freeman further wrote that this would allow British Cycling to have colour-coded monthly reports on their riders. Freeman concluded there would be benefits to both riders and British Cycling ‘in having this monitoring of the ABP, allowing early detection in fluctuations of the riders ABP.’ However, because UKAD would not share the ABP data the plan was ditched.