Decision taken without access to all information

The World Anti-doping Agency used as yet unpublished studies before advising the UCI to close the anti-doping investigation into Chris Froome, cycling’s world governing body has said.

The UCI yesterday published a detailed statement to further explain Monday’s announcement that four-time Tour de France winner Froome had been cleared of any anti-doping violation when a test undertaken at La Vuelta last September found excessive levels of the asthma drug Salbutamol.

In it, the UCI said it acted on the advice of WADA and without access to all of the same information.

“WADA’S scientific department has access to information that UCI does not, including ongoing and unpublished studies on the excretion of Salbutamol (which is – as confirmed by WADA Scientific Director – subject to considerable variations),” the statement said.

“In those circumstances, the UCI had to trust WADA’S assessment of whether or not Mr Froome’s control amounted to an anti-doping rule violation as per the rules adopted by WADA.

“Pursuing the case when the world supervising authority in anti-doping – which is the entity enacting the rules and the tests – tells you that there is no case is simply not an option.”

The statement also said that a request from Froome to carry out further tests on his samples – to determine whether they might have been affected by other medicines he was taking, or by his diet during La Vuelta – was rejected.