Brailsford bites back over UKAD chairman’s comments

UNDER-PRESSURE Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford has criticised the chairman of UK Anti-Doping for undermining the ongoing investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in cycling.

Brailsford, speaking publicly for the first time since being called before parliament at the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) select committee on December 19, side-stepped direct questions over his position, saying he was focusing on the future. But the 52-year-old added he would consider his position if he felt he could no longer fulfil his role.

Brailsford was measured and deliberate in his response to UKAD chairman David Kenworthy’s description of the evidence given in Parliament by senior British cycling figures as “extraordinary” and “very disappointing”.

“The only extraordinary thing, I think, was the chairman of UKAD’s comments the other day when he commented about an ongoing investigation,” said Brailsford, speaking at Team Sky’s annual media day in Majorca.

“As an organisation like UKAD and for the chair to say it is an extraordinary thing.

“To try to dive in halfway through and undermine that process is not... for me, I don’t think most fair-minded people would think that was the best way of doing it. I’ve written to UK AntiDoping to express our concerns about that.”

UKAD is investigating a package delivered to Team Sky and Sir Bradley Wiggins at the June 2011 Criterium du Dauphine, revealed by a newspaper last October.

The British squad’s use of therapeutic use exemptions for Wiggins, the Tour’s first British winner in 2012, have also attracted criticism. Team Sky have always denied “wrongdoing” and insist no anti-doping rule violation has taken place.

Damien Collins, the select committee chairman, says questions remain and witnesses may be recalled, along with new ones.

Further evidence is now likely to wait until the conclusion of the UKAD investigation, which appears to have some time still to run.

“Even this week UKAD got in touch with some of the riders who were at the Dauphine,” Brailsford added.

Some have called for Brailsford, the British Cycling performance director until April 2014, overseeing Olympic dominance in the velodrome, to step down from his role amid the furore.

Team Sky will seek a fifth Tour de France title in six editions this summer.