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They must have had flat batteries then. In 2015 team sky came second to BMC in the TTT and they were nowhere in the ITT.
When it comes to cycling I am incredibly cynical when teams dominate. This has spilled over in to many other sports for me unfortunately too. But the motorised doping is just incredible. Reading the colournoise post above I found this: http://www.typhoonbicycles.com/pages/technology/
I mean surely weighing wheels and frames and speccing them to manufacturers stats is a simple thing to do?
How do we know that the riders themselves haven't had electric motors inserted in them? It would be far easier to hide than a motorised bike, but give a significant performance advantage.
That way the rider's performance would be consistently enhanced, not tied to a particular bike and it would explain why, for example, Chris Froome went overnight from being a no-hoper riding sportives in Kenya to one of the best riders in the world.
It would also explain the looking down at the stem thing. It can't be comfortable having a motor up ya. Plus who knows what settings and readings he may be monitoring? There must be a point at which his legs simply spin too fast, perhaps he needs to monitor that?
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who wins a race, particularly a big one, is a chaat. Just because we don't know how they cheated, doesn't mean they are clean. On the contrary, it means they have cheated full stop, fact. The sooner anyone who wins is disqualified, the sooner sport will be clean.
We should be working to make cycling great again!
When will the crooked UCI start to X-ray riders, particularly podium finishers?
Just hope there's nothing to the Wiggins bashing going on in the press. The U.K. Media don't seem to like our own sports people or teams doing well - always out to get them.
Given Wiggins' all round talent in various aspects of cycling and different disciplines I think the motorised doping buts above seem unlikely to apply to him. The tue thing has played nic it in to Russia's hands - its deflected a lot of debate away from their apparent state sponsored doping, yet Tues are 'legal' in cycling.
This package thing is a mystery - hope it gets cleared up.
Just in wiggins' tour win - he. Luke only really gave done it in that years course - it had the right combo of time trials that suited him and climbs he could get through. Most other courses since have much more suited climbers like Froome. For me, his performances have been much more dominant and would raise more questions than Wiggins.
Thanks for your links, Paton. Do you have an opinion? I'm asking because mostly you just seem to post hyperlinks to relevant stories, but the fact you can be bothered to do so suggests that you have some interest in the topic, but you never seem to comment.
@BWD: Why should (s)he comment? Maybe (s)he thinks that by giving you links you can read them and make up your own mind.
I post links without comment as well (although its pretty obvious where I stand on things 😉 ). I don't always necessary feel the need to express an opinion on a link...
I'm not saying he or she should comment, I'm just interested in other people's views. That's just part of how forums are. Obviously no-one's forced to have an opinion, I was just intrigued in the same way as it's interesting to know what anyone else thinks.
My take on the spin doctor thing is that it's possibly not surprising that an organisation in the middle of a media storm is trying to manage potential reputational damage. I'm guessing most organisations in a similar scenario would do something similar if they didn't have the necessary expertise in house?
Other interpretations are available...
Can't read the link as its behind the paywall, however if BC are starting to hire PR teams then I'd guess its as an attempt to distance themselves from Sky for when the fallout of the return of Cope to parliament hits home.
"Lawyers for both parties and some of the witnesses are understood to be negotiating over the draft, which sources have told Sky News makes "deeply uncomfortable reading" for senior figures in the sport."
http://news.sky.com/story/boss-at-scandal-hit-vw-to-head-british-cycling-10761207
The only opinion that I might have is that the cyclists probably deserve better.
My turn to paste a link without comment, though I might be having a chuckle to myself...
http://road.cc/content/news/217350-british-cycling-shortlisted-governing-body-year-award
Also, even the TV reviewer in Private Eye is sticking the boot in now.
Made a gag about Wiggo saying he wasn't properly "prepared" for The Jump.
2. It was tramadol.
Quite possibly, [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2017/02/19/ex-team-sky-cyclist-michael-barryexpands-teams-unethical-use/ ]according to Barry[/url]
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39128672 ]The dog ate my homework[/url]
But she said Ukad still does not know if Fluimucil was in the package - as opposed to the allegation that it contained the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone - because there is no paperwork."We have asked for inventories and medical records and we have not been able to ascertain that because there are no records," she said.
Sapstead was asked why Dr Freeman cannot produce any evidence that he gave what was an unlicensed product in the UK to Wiggins, as he is obliged to do under correct medical practice.
"He kept medical records on a laptop and, according to Team Sky policy, was meant to upload those records to a dropbox that the other team doctors had access to," she said.
"But he didn't do that, for whatever reason, and in 2014 his laptop was stolen why he was on holiday in Greece."
Sapstead said Ukad contacted Interpol to check if this theft was reported at the time but has not received any confirmation it was, although Freeman did report it to British Cycling.
Scotroutes, you beat me to it (I was going to go with 'The dog ate my laptop').
Interesting that the doctor has missed the hearing "because of ill health".
I also enjoyed the comments by Simon Cope:
Questioned on why he did not ask what was in the package, he said: "Why would I question it? Why would I question the integrity of our governing body? I just didn't ask. You may think I'm stupid."It must have been something medical, because it was for Dr Freeman, but I had no reason to doubt it. Throughout my career, I've looked up to our governing body. We've done so well and with a zero-tolerance stance [on doping]."
When pointed to the fact he was taking medical products overseas, Cope - who now manages Wiggins' professional road-racing team - said: "I probably should have asked what was in the package but the other day I travelled down to Spain with 40 boxes in the car. I didn't check every box, but I presume they were helmets."
Cope was asked to explain a discrepancy between his recollection of his movements that week and the expense claim he submitted to British Cycling.
"I might have been trying to fiddle them. We all do that, don't we?" he said.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/01/british-cycling-team-sky-package-bradley-wiggins
She agreed that the evidence her team had uncovered dealt a blow to the self-declared mission of Sky – which won the Tour de France in 2012 via Wiggins and has taken three more since with Chris Froome – to be demonstrably clean.“It strikes me as odd, too, yes,” she said. “I would expect, particularly for a professional road cycling team that was founded on the premise of exhibiting that road racing could be conducted cleanly, to have records that would be able to demonstrate any inferences to the contrary.”
Yup, UKAD seem impressed....
What a mess, what a huge stinking pile of obfuscation and denial. I can see Froome getting dogs abuse at the tour this year.
Does British Cycling have a future in Olympic sport?
Wheels have come completely off now, last seen bouncing across an Italian field....
Testosterone patches ordered by 'accident', fellow doctors have to change pin codes to stop another requesting TUEs
It's becoming a daily drip feed...
nah, you people need to stop whining
The triamcinolone was pretty much all for Brailsford, as it turns out. I'm guessing the "erroneous" testosterone too; I mean, look at his bald head. Proof enough for me.
I've been saying since the autumn that Brailsford would be gone before the TdeF, wish I'd got odds on it. He's staggered from one car crash to another, and Froome didn't exactly come out in his corner when he was interviewed at the training camp earlier this year.
And as for the original question of a witchhunt I think that, like Armstrong, a lot of journalists have had a lot of suspicion and lots of off-the-record stuff but haven't been able to say anything for fears of a libel claim, but as this has all come out in the CMS hearings (which hold parliamentary privilege) they can report on the content of the hearings without fear, as they aren't the ones making the allegations.
The triamcinolone was pretty much all for Brailsford, as it turns out. I'm guessing the "erroneous" testosterone too; I mean, look at his bald head. Proof enough for me
He should have got a job with giant alpecin then, look at how luxuriant kittel is.
Having in a previous life been royally screwed by the press (Sunday Times) as a relatively junior member of staff I was sent on a media handling course (horse, stable, door, bolt....) - the first thing you are told is; get your ducks in a row - deal with the bad news comprehensively and early and move on and DON'T TELL FIBS because you will get found out. FFS Brailsford, Cope & Freeman need to be run out of town now. It smells like doping, it sounds like doping - IT IS DOPING.
De Jongh added that he was surprised that no paperwork existed with regards to the package from 2011. Team Sky doctors were supposed to follow a protocol that involved uploading medical notes to a shared Dropbox server. However, according to the team, Freeman rarely did this, despite reminders. UKAD revealed last week that Freeman’s laptop was stolen while on holiday in 2014. They are currently working with Interpol to confirm if a police report was made.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/de-jongh-i-cant-see-brailsford-lasting-at-team-sky/
Makes a fair point about 'marginal gains' details that was so commonly touted vs the lack of much detail in the medical records revealed recently.
Personally, never thought the marginal gains thing was much more than marketing of focus and detail.
Hoisted by their own petard IMO.
Spend years making fuss about being clean and doing it right.
Now spend years finding out that the public expectation of 'clean' is different from their expectation of clean.
Now press are on to it all will come out eventually, and even if it is withing rules, I don't think press or public will believe them, especially due to lack of detail and records.
A sorry state of affairs.
is about right.Hoisted by their own petard
An excellent piece from Dec 2016 by Irish Peloton (Cillian Kelly)
http://www.stickybottle.com/blogs/opinion-team-skys-reputation-shredded-by-brailsford-failure/
The press articles describing how the other Sky team doctors blocked the applications for TUEs by Richard Freeman, seem to indicate that if there was organised doping in Sky, only a select few of the support staff were involved, which would make sense given that the more people involved, the more likely it is that the conspiracy would be uncovered.
I always thought that it was unlikely that the BC track cyclists were doping, especially not collectively as a team rather than an individual, because the money involved for most track riders is relatively so low compared to pro road cycling, both in terms of what they were paid by BC as a salary and also in terms of what they might be able to earn after their racing career was over, with the exception of a few high profile riders like Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.
If there were organised doping in the track team, I would have expected the prospect of a big payout from a tabloid newspaper to have resulted in a rider blowing the whistle by now, and instead the only whistle blowing we have seen was Jess Varnish's allegations of sexism.
If the track team is clean, and if the suspicions about Sky and Brailsford are confirmed, then those track riders and BC support staff stand to be amongst the biggest losers and victims of the Sky debacle. At the very least their successes in the Olympics will be tainted by suspicions of doping.
Wiggins and Brailsford built their careers on the back of success on the track funded by UK Sport and BC, so it would be particularly galling if they are guilty of doping in pro road racing, and damage BC and the track team as a result.
The 'erroneous' delivery of testosterone patches is strongly suggestive of organised doping, rather than just gaming the TUE system. If it were to turn out that Freeman was helping Wiggins to dope, then as with Armstrong, it is likely that many of Wiggins' past victories would be annulled, so the other riders in the 2016 Olympic pursuit team could lose their gold medals as a result, as Usain Bolt and his fellow relay team members similarly lost their gold medals because one of the team was found to have been doping.
I was completely with them until the missing medical administration records.
Even the shonkiest, poorly run facilities keep immaculate MAR sheets.
It's the most basic of basics, top of page 1.
I just can't get past that.
I always thought that it was unlikely that the BC track cyclists were doping, especially not collectively as a team rather than an individual, because the money involved for most track riders is relatively so low compared to pro road cycling...
by far the biggest earner in that equation is British Cycling, who take millions in Lottery funding via UK Sport on the basis of success (no medals = no money, see badminton etc). I'm not saying the track squad doped, but if they did the financial driver (with the deepest pockets) would be for it be organised by the team as all their staff salaries depended on success rather than individual riders.
Really don't know how anything good is going to come out of this. SDB will probably have to fall on his own sword/petard. Gawd knows what Wiggins is going to do. Sky cycling team could easily collapse if Sky pull the plug on money if they look like they are getting their fingers burnt.
SDB will be gone before the Tour. Murdoch will have the team on notice and have an exit strategy around 'mission accomplished' if there's a hint of a further scandal. Wiggins will continue to live off the Sky millions he banked, his endorsements and the adoration of his unwavering fanbois. Dunno if you're on twitter or follow anyone 'relevant' (eg. cycling journos) but whenever there's a post about this subject there are more indignant defences of Wiggins (how dare we besmirch a National Treasure?!) than there are condemnations.
"Sir Dave Brailsford: Team Sky riders '100% back' boss"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39185863
I am genuinely beginning to wonder if there's any way back for Sky.
SDB will be gone before the Tour.
I'm coming round to this idea now.
And as for Wiggo, he chose not to explain himself so he's tarnished for good now.
I expect he'll just drift away from cycling and hope it all blows over with the wider public.
The thing with the testosterone patches is bizzare. Yeah, like that's happened to me loads of times. Just turned up they did. Bloody Amazon...
Not sure what to make of it all really, but it seems pretty clear that there are some very murky waters. Which in some ways is not a big surprise, and I can accept that some teams will be taking advantage of the system in the same way that tax avoidance goes on in big business. But yeah...it's getting murkier.
And for a team that claimed to be so squeaky clean...
One thing that concerns me is that if this really does blow up, it could be genuinely damaging to cycling in UK. Sky pulls out and we no longer have presence on the road. I can live with that. But funding will start getting pulled. GB track teams will suffer. Talented new riders will suffer from less support. It could potentially be a really bad thing, and I think many other countries have already gone through it and seen support for cycling diminish.
So as Sky are tarnished - does that mean the Kenyan is clean?
Or is he also involved in this ...or is his medication also TUE?
I think if you've ever watched Sky then you need to supply a sample.
One thing that concerns me is that if this really does blow up, it could be genuinely damaging to cycling in UK. Sky pulls out and we no longer have presence on the road. I can live with that. But funding will start getting pulled. GB track teams will suffer. Talented new riders will suffer from less support. It could potentially be a really bad thing, and I think many other countries have already gone through it and seen support for cycling diminish.
I agree with this to an extent, but I think team sky and road presence must be more important than GB track presence? Certainly in terms of participation of the general public.
I wonder how HSBC are feeling after become BC headline sponsor at the start of the year?
I wonder how HSBC are feeling after become BC headline sponsor at the start of the year?
They've had a few of their own controversies recently, so they may be grateful someone else is taking a bit of heat.
It has become a sorry tale, but as things stand there's no actual evidence that any Sky rider has taken any PID in an illegal manner. Until any appear's everything can be brushed aside as poor record keeping, administrative errors ect, ect. Maybe that's true because dogs do sometimes eat homework !! But I sure as hell don't know. Tend to agree there'll be a sacrifice probably Brailsford but if nothing more concrete comes out even he might be able to ride it out.
It's easy
"What was in the bag, Sir David"
"It was X"
Anything other than that is bolloxs. end of. It almost now doesn't matter what was in in the bloody bag, he was screwed when he used 1500 words in a interview to say nothing at all about what was in the bag (clearly he knew all too well). Rightly or wrongly he's screwed now.
Btw the Kenyan has [s]refused[/s] declined to tweet his support for SDB when her was invited to by the team.
I don't think that Brailsford will get to ride it out unless Murdoch agrees to it
"I don't think that Brailsford will get to ride it out unless Murdoch agrees "
This is true.
It's easy"What was in the bag, Sir David"
"It was X"
Perhaps Dr Richard Freeman might actually answer some questions. Effectively he's throwing the entire team of more than 100 people under the bus by refusing to speak up. If he did something unethical he should fess up and explain whether it happened with or without the knowledge of the Sky management team.
He's the one who knows whether his TUEs were ethical. He knows what was in the bag. He knows why there was so much Kenacort ordered and what happened to it. He knows whether he ordered those testosterone patches or not. And he knows whether his lack of record keeping was clear to the management and why he doesn't appear to have kept detailed medical records in breach of GMC rules.
If the management was aware or orchestrated that stuff, it's pretty bad no, but if it's a case of a doctor gone rogue or simply incompetent, then he should face up anyway. You have to think that if he did openly order testosterone from team Sky/GB's regular pharmaceutical supplier he was either incredibly stupid or wanted to get caught. Or it was genuinely a screw-up by the supplier, was it CRC? They've sent me random stuff in the past...
The media wants to hammer Brailsford and the team because it suits their 'how the mighty have fallen' agenda, but the doc seems to be getting off scot free, which is odd, because it's almost as if this whole things with the anonymous leak about the Jiffy bag was set up to properly drop him in it, by someone with an axe to grind with him.
Totally agree with above, Some of the behaviour of Dr Freeman is what's interesting.
the other team docs removed his access to TUE portal because of concerns.
Also yoiu've got to consider that he used a highly potent steroid to treat hayfever and asthma. I can imagine how that conversation went: "we can treat wiggos asthma/allergies with an anthistamine and salbutamol (like most people have) or we can use triamcinolone which happens to have the unfortunate side effect of making him stronger and leaner, all on TUE. so it's legal."
Whether it's ethical to use something quite so potent to treat the condition that wiggins had is up for debate, but the actions of the other doctors must be some indicator that freeman's behaviour was not in the spirit of the rest of the medical team.
I wonder how much of this brailsford was aware of and agreed to, i can imagine him muttering "marginal gains, marginal gains" and turning a blind eye.
of course all this is conjecture but my belief is that they used the TUE system to gain a performance improvement. Whilst not illegal it doesn't sit very well with the whiter than white image.
Also yoiu've got to consider that he used a highly potent steroid to treat hayfever and asthma. I can imagine how that conversation went: "we can treat wiggos asthma/allergies with an anthistamine and salbutamol (like most people have) or we can use triamcinolone which happens to have the unfortunate side effect of making him stronger and leaner, all on TUE. so it's legal."
Combined with the fact that until the Fancy Bears outing there was no mention of Wiggins even needing a TUE nor was there of his 'chronic' hayfever..
The whole thing stinks, whether its playing it up to the rule line or indeed crossing it as may be the case. At least when Ulrich and Lance were on the gear it made for interesting racing - to find out Sky are on the sauce after watching the borefest that has been the last few Tours just adds insult to injury.
As an aside, the Mrs came to watch me race at the weekend. Stood in the car park faffing about, she made the bold statement 'its interesting how many of these blokes have asthma isn't it'....which I thought was quite telling. Between us we must have seen 10 blokes chuffing away on an inhaler...and this is for a 4th Cat race..
of course all this is conjecture but my belief is that they used the TUE system to gain a performance improvement. Whilst not illegal it doesn't sit very well with the whiter than white image.
The nub of that is who knew about it. If medical confidentiality meant that Freeman didn't share that information then theoretically, the only other person to know might be Wiggins himself and the other team doctors.
What is interesting on that front, is that the treatment was apparently endorsed by an external ENT consultant called Simon Hargreaves in Bolton - see this [url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/30/bradley-wiggins-full-story-asthma-allergies-tues ]Guardian[/url] piece. Freeman used to be the club doc at Bolton Wanderers btw. Hargreaves barely gets a mention in the mainstream media since then, but he's effectively enabled the TUE, yet again, no-one has asked him for his opinion as far as I can see.
"Sir Dave Brailsford: Team Sky riders '100% back' boss"
matt Slater did an amusing tweet about it, something like "18 Sky riders spontaneously tweet their support on day 157 of the UKAD investigation".
So as Sky are tarnished - does that mean the Kenyan is clean?
"Performance-based suspicion" (which I don't subscribe to) says no, he's not clean. His lack of backing SDB at the team camp, and again now, could suggest that either he's clean, or that anything he is doing is without the team's knowledge or involvement, or that he's so arrogant he thinks that somehow he won't be dragged down by them.
The media wants to hammer Brailsford and the team because it suits their 'how the mighty have fallen' agenda
Slightly disagree. SDB is the man credited with all the success of BC and Sky, do we really think anything the Docs have done was without his instruction or consent? And he's the one who's specifically been proven to have lied to press and public:
The bag being for Pooley,
Wiggins not being at the Dauphine stage finish,
and we're also supposed to believe he wasn't aware corticosteroids could be performance-enhancing when he was such good friends with David Millar that he was with him when he was arrested, and every student of the sport knows it's the drug LA got a back-dated TUE for to cover his one positive test.
but if it's a case of a doctor gone rogue or simply incompetent,
I wonder how much of this brailsford was aware of and agreed to, i can imagine him muttering "marginal gains, marginal gains" and turning a blind eye
SDB has admitted he knew about the massive stocks of corticosteroid because he's now saying Freeman injected his poorly knee with the stuff. Unless he pinned SDB down that's hardly a rogue doctor. That's a team doctor administering a drug by injection to a team manager with apparently no record of having done that, offered as an explanation as to why they had 60-70 vials of the stuff.
The thing with the testosterone patches is bizarre
it's like a series of schoolkid excuses-
Freeman sends in a sicknote
Cope had his laptop stolen
the patches were delivered accidently
the dog ate my homework
a big boy did it and ran away
Between us we must have seen 10 blokes chuffing away on an inhaler...and this is for a 4th Cat race..
Slight difference to my racing the Eastern Winter Series as a yoof, where half the Fun class would have a ciggie at the end.
And my TA recruitment platoon too, come to that. No two mile run was complete without one.
SDB has admitted he knew about the massive stocks of corticosteroid because he's now saying Freeman injected his poorly knee with the stuff.
What does medical ethics say about that? May be OK, I don't know. Seems a bit casual to borrow a bit of team-issue dope and have it injected by the team doctor?
What does medical ethics say about that? May be OK, I don't know. Seems a bit casual to borrow a bit of team-issue dope and have it injected by the team doctor?
I'm guessing that as a practicing doctor he can prescribe appropriately for anyone on the team, why wouldn't he be able to? It's not like me treating someone as lay-person. Presumably it'd be different if he just gave people drugs for conditions they didn't have, but as long as it was a genuine treatment for a real condition, you'd think it would be legitimate.
The thing with the localised injection into the joint, apparently, is that it stays localised unlike the application used for the TUE stuff which is a full body experience, so it's not performance enhancing in that context.
It seems slightly mad that they had so much of the stuff ordered, but being injected with something doesn't necessarily mean you know how much of it is in your store room. I well remember the happy day when Dr Harold Shipman gave me a rabies jab, I had no idea how much anti-rabies vaccine he had in stock, just that he wasn't very good at injections... probably needed more practice.
There's a lot of assumptions about what people 'must have known', but would you really expect Dave Brailsford to be aware of the stock levels of the medical store? That's why it's so bemusing that Freeman hasn't said a thing as per my earlier post. If anyone knows what was happening on the medical side, it was him, but he seems happy for everyone else to take the flak while he says nothing.
I'm guessing that as a practicing doctor he can prescribe appropriately for anyone on the team, why wouldn't he be able to
this revelation has raised that extra question - where is the written record/prescription? Given SDB has told the press about it they can't claim patient confidentiality, so clearly there will be a written record of that prescription then?
would you really expect Dave Brailsford to be aware of the stock levels of the medical store?
SDB and Sky have made us expect that, with his supposed attention to detail and their obsession with marginal gains. They take riders' personal pillows to races, and talked about having individual washing machines for each riders kit to prevent cross-infection, but then don't keep medical records and administer drugs to whoever wants them?
Ok, so team manager, team rider, if that's the same thing for the team doctor then fair enough. Wondered if him acting on non-rider health issues crossed a line.
You'd think he'd ask though : ) 'Is that from the marginal gains stock or are we into bulk rate discounts now? Enough to go around yeah?'being injected with something doesn't necessarily mean you know how much of it is in your store room
(Can't take it all seriously anymore so resorting to daft comments, I know..)
That's why it's so bemusing that Freeman hasn't said a thing as per my earlier post. If anyone knows what was happening on the medical side, it was him, but he seems happy for everyone else to take the flak while he says nothing.
I think if he admits prescribing PEDs, then he is liable to disciplinary action by the GMC, although any sanction might not be quite as severe as being struck off. However, UKAD/the UCI would probably ban him from practising as a doctor for any Olympic sport.
So, his professional career and livelihood are at risk, and unlike Brailsford, Cope et al., he cannot simply say he didn't know what was in the jiffy bag. I think he is probably now between a rock and very hard place. If he lies to the HoC committee, then I think that would be perjury. Unless he is going to come clean and dob Brailsford and others in, his only other option would be to say he could not remember, and I don't think that the committee would accept that at this late stage of the enquiry.
If he lies to the HoC committee, then I think that would be perjury.
No, because he hasn't lied under oath apparently, it's not perjury. Apparently misleading MPs is 'contempt of the house' and means he could be fined or detained, but it's not happened since the 19th Century. He doesn't even legally have to attend if summoned to appear. The only real damage is to his reputation.
[url= https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jul/22/phone-hacking-lying-to-select-committee ]https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jul/22/phone-hacking-lying-to-select-committee[/url]
SDB will go, Skys top riders will move and I suspect the entire operation will fold at the end of the season.
No, because he hasn't lied under oath apparently, it's not perjury. Apparently misleading MPs is 'contempt of the house' and means he could be fined or detained, but it's not happened since the 19th Century.
Yes, I've just been reading the guide for witnesses, and as you say it is rare for them to take evidence under oath, and punishing for contempt is very rare. However, I don't think he could refuse to attend:
'When gathering evidence, almost all select committees have a power to send for “persons, papers and records”. This means that committees can insist upon the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers and other material. This formal power is rarely used.'
I suspect that the committee members may be unhappy enough with the length of time for which this has been dragging on already, and with the unsatisfactory answers provided to them so far, that they might be prepared to threaten to use some of those powers.
I think it's interesting that they have left Freeman till last. If he had been the first witness and said "I can't remember" or "I think it was flumicil", that might have been the end of matters, but now public and media interest have been ramped up and his evidence will be very closely scrutinised. I cannot see how he could get out of appearing before the committee now, and maybe that's why they have left him till last, since they feel that they would be justified now in using their powers to compel him to appear and testify if necessary.
That's a really poor article. Kimmage just parading his prejudices. Nothing new or incite full, stuff like this.
. There is loads more coming down the pipeline with this.Is that based on something you have heard, on something sources have told you, or your instincts?
It is my instinct. It is just reading what is happening. It is just looking at the unravelling of it. Logically.
Sky have just published this (8 pages)
[url= https://app.box.com/s/8fiqxj1veckqjom9dhzb2erti45dx77i ]https://app.box.com/s/8fiqxj1veckqjom9dhzb2erti45dx77i[/url]
and a covering letter
Dear Mr Collins,I am enclosing a document that Team Sky will publish today that provides more context around issuesrelating to the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné race and the steps we have taken since then to strengthenour anti-doping and medical practices. We have given all of the relevant information to UKAD already(and have sent them a copy of this document), but I hope it also provides important context for yourCommittee’s ongoing work around anti-doping.Self-evidently, the events of recent months have highlighted areas where mistakes were made byTeam Sky. Some members of staff did not comply fully with the policies and procedures that existedat that time. Regrettably, those mistakes mean that we have not been able to provide the completeset of records that we should have around the specific race relevant to UKAD’s investigation. Weaccept full responsibility for this.However, many of the subsequent assumptions and assertions about the way Team Sky operateshave been inaccurate or extended to implications that are simply untrue. There is a fundamentaldifference between process failures and wrongdoing. Our commitment to anti-doping has been a coreprinciple of Team Sky since its inception. Our mission is to race and win clean, and we have done so for8 years.UKAD’s investigation was precipitated by a very serious allegation of an anti-doping rule violation byTeam Sky at the 2011 Dauphiné. It is important to reiterate that, to my understanding, UKAD’sextensive investigation has found nothing whatsoever to support this allegation, which we believe tobe false.2011 was only our second year of racing and we have continuously improved our policies andprocedures since then. As this document sets out, we have taken a number of significant steps tostrengthen our anti-doping and medical governance, and we will continue to do so in the future. While I obviously respect the fact that people will have their view on issues related to thisinvestigation, I do believe that some of the comments made about Team Sky have been unreasonableand incorrect. In the interest of balance, I would like to take this opportunity to say that I have the utmostadmiration and respect for the riders and staff at the team. They are an extraordinarily dedicated andprofessional group of individuals who have always sought to do things the right way and to win clean.It’s why they joined Team Sky.I fully appreciate that, for understandable reasons, your recent hearings regarding cycling and anti-doping have focused on the events surrounding the Dauphiné 2011 and the lessons to be learned. Aspart of your work I am sure you will also want to look at current policies and practices in the sport, andI hope that this document will be useful in supporting that work.Yours sincerely,
Sir David Brailsford
Principal, Team Sky
(Terrible line and word spacing due to cut and paste)
🙄We accept full responsibility
Freeman gets the blame, everything else is continuous improvement.
It's a fairly comprehensive response to most of the allegations so far (although I see someone has already questioned the Sky statements about limitations on doctor prescription rights across Europe).
Given all the hassle so far, it's puzzling they took so long to respond. Because of all the dissembling and stalling, they are now fighting an uphill battle to convince people of their integrity. Let's see if the press keep digging.
I guess the problem is it opens another door... 'so you had comprehensive medical records for virtually all the other riders, show me' so it goes on, maybe another error or omission and it's death by a thousand cuts.
there has to be a sacrifice, freeman, SDB or the entire team?
I read the report and found it quite believable. I hope it is true.
Given all the hassle so far, it's puzzling they took so long to respond.
Well the document says they were told not to discuss it publicly while the investigation was ongoing, the problem with that being that it just allowed more time for rumours, claims, allegations etc to do the rounds...
Damned if you do, damned if you don't!
I'd like to believe the letter, it does sound convincing....ish..
But then this is pro-cycling!
It's a fairly comprehensive response to most of the allegations so far
they've had 6 months to come with it. Problem is their credibility is shot, why do we start believing them now? They were adamant the jiffy was for Pooley. Then they were adamant Wiggins wasn't there to receive it as the bus had already left. Now they're suddenly adamant he was there, he was given it in the team bus, and it was [i]definitely[/i] just flumicil. They "understand" that Flumicil wasn't available in France in Nebuliser form which is why they had to fly it down, which doesn't seem quite such a definite given the expense and hassle they went through.
You can summarise the above covering letter as "look at how well we've shut the stable door" .
Interesting to see how the Brailsford/Froome dynamic plays out, especially if SDB doesn't go. Just listened to The Cycling Podcast and by all accounts they've never been close as Froome resented having to give way to Wiggins in 2012 Tour. I can't see them both staying at Sky now that Froome has failed to come out in support of SDB.
"“Dave’s approach was rather like a character in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass,” Froome says. “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – ‘neither more nor less’. My understanding was that I would go to the Tour as a protected rider but the details were never teased out. Dave’s words would mean just what he chose them to mean.”"
I think it's been evident for a while that Sky are not nearly as ruthlessly efficient as they'd wanted us all to believe.
That's a fine statement, but if they were under instructions to keep schtum before - why the hell didn't they say so?
Or were they really just paralysed with indecision and hoping it might all blow over?
Well another sneering hysterical Guardian article.
"Either way, a reckoning is coming. And incidentally, from a storytelling point of view, there is something poetically apt about the nation’s greatest modern sporting success imploding against the backdrop of the past year, as the country is required to define itself anew in the world."
I'm sure there'll be some admonishment of Sky and British cycling over their administrative errors, but as they've been largely addressed that's all it will be. Because there is as yet no evidence that sky riders have actually cheated or broken any rules around PED's.
Pretty sure an outright ban on Corticosteroids will be a good thing, but when Wiggins took them it was legal with his TUE and that was correctly administered and every T crossed and dot doted.
Allegedly.when Wiggins took them it was legal with his TUE and that was correctly administered and every T crossed and dot doted.
Allegedly
Well if you've got any information get yourself down to London. There's a Parliamentary select committee who would love to hear it.
Because there is as yet no evidence that sky riders have actually cheated or broken any rules around PED's.
We are still waiting to hear what was in that jiffy bag, and the failure to provide a satisfactory answer after all this time is suspicious in itself.
Also, the delivery of testosterone patches: of all the possible drugs that could be sent 'by mistake' by a drug company to a cycling team doctor. It looked suspicious as hell at the time, hence Freeman needing to get a letter from the supplier saying it was their mistake to show to the other doctors. (And given the profits earned by drug companies from the sale of drugs used as PEDs in sport, I would not simply accept that letter at face value.)
So there is evidence. It's not conclusive (yet) and it's circumstantial, but it's starting to add up.
Also, the delivery of testosterone patches: of all the possible drugs that could be sent 'by mistake' by a drug company to a cycling team doctor. It looked suspicious as hell at the time, hence Freeman needing to get a letter from the supplier saying it was their mistake to show to the other doctors. (And given the profits earned by drug companies from the sale of drugs used as PEDs in sport, I would not simply accept that letter at face value.)
He'd have to monstrously stupid to have a shipment of PEDs sent to him at the velodrome by BC and Team Sky's regular pharmaceutical supplier.
@slowster. from the link above regarding the jiffy bag and other issues.. You can either believe Sky or not, some people don't for their own reasons or agenda, but at this moment there isn't any "evidence" to suggest this statement isn't true.
"1. POINTS OF CLARIFICATION ON UKAD INVESTIGATION a) Fluimucil
Dr Freeman requested a package be delivered to him after the final stage of the race containing medical supplies from his store in the Manchester Velodrome. The package was brought to France by Simon Cope and given to Dr Freeman at the end of the Dauphiné on 12 June. Dr Freeman told UKAD that the package contained a decongestant called Fluimucil that was to be administered to Bradley Wiggins via nebulizer. According to the evidence given by UKAD, Bradley Wiggins has confirmed that this administration took place. Fluimucil is the brand name for N-acetyl cysteine. Fluimucil is used to break down mucus/catarrh, and commonly used at road races where these issues can be problems for riders, particularly at high altitude and/or in damp conditions. The use of Fluimucil in this way is – as noted by UKAD – fairly common within professional cycling and is completely in line with anti-doping rules. For this purpose Fluimucil is most effectively administered using a 3ml dosage of 10% concentration that is sold in ampoule form and administered via nebulizer. There has been considerable speculation as to why it was necessary to transport the Fluimucil all the way from Manchester when it has been claimed that it is widely available in pharmacies in France. This is a misunderstanding. As the Select Committee was told by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Fluimucil is not licensed for sale in the United Kingdom, in any of its forms. It is our understanding that while Fluimucil is licensed for sale in France, the particular form used by the team (i.e. 3ml, 10% ampoule form for use in a nebulizer) is not available for sale in France, nor to our knowledge was it available for sale in 2011. In addition, since Fluimucil is a prescription medication, Dr Freeman would not have been able to purchase it in France, even if the required form had been available to purchase (which, to our knowledge, it was not), because – according to Dr Freeman – he does not have prescription rights in France. As a result, Team Sky typically ordered Fluimucil from a pharmacy in Munich where Dr Freeman does have prescription rights and where the required form of Fluimucil (i.e. 3ml, 10% ampoule form for use in a nebulizer) is licensed for sale. Any surplus Fluimucil was then stored in Manchester. Team Sky has provided UKAD with the receipts for purchases of Fluimucil from that pharmacy from 2011. There is also an example in records provided to UKAD of Fluimucil being purchased in Switzerland earlier in 2011, where it is also licensed for sale (and Dr Freeman had prescription rights).
b) Medical records
UKAD has reported that it has been unable to find any medical records relating to the treatment of Bradley Wiggins for the eight-day period of the 2011 Dauphiné. As such there are no contemporaneous written notes to confirm the administration of Fluimucil on 12 June. According to Team Sky policy at the time, Dr Freeman (as the race doctor) should have uploaded these
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records to a shared Dropbox folder. Had this happened, the relevant records could have been made available to UKAD (with the rider’s permission). While Dr Freeman appears to have failed to comply with team policy on this occasion, that does not mean that he kept no medical records at all. We understand that his preferred method of record keeping whilst on the road was to keep notes on his laptop (stored locally). Dr Freeman reported his laptop as stolen in 20141. As a result, UKAD has been unable to confirm what records relating to treatment given at the 2011 Dauphiné were in fact made. While we accept that there are no medical records for this particular rider at this particular race, it is wrong to draw the conclusion that Team Sky has no medical records or that our medical team as a whole have been deficient in their record keeping. On the contrary, it is an area we take very seriously and have sought to strengthen and improve over time. Since its inception, Team Sky has used the online storage system Dropbox for sharing information relating to the riders, as well as for other administration and management information. In 2011 there were nine part-time doctors working for the team. As a way of sharing notes, we encouraged doctors to record information using a folder (with restricted-access) in the Team Sky Dropbox account. This would ensure that any doctor on a race could see the full medical history of any rider. However, some doctors (including Dr Freeman) struggled with the new system and preferred to use their own hard copy and/or electronic notes, sharing information by telephone as appropriate. In 2011 the Team also held fortnightly conference calls between all doctors, led by Head of Medicine, Dr Steve Peters. It is inevitable that some people will adopt new technology more easily and quickly than others. We did, however, take active steps to help all doctors to understand and use the system. This included creating a detailed document explaining: (a) step-by-step how to complete the Excel spreadsheets containing medical information per rider, (b) the information expected to be inputted, and (c) an explanation of how to ensure this was in turn uploaded to Dropbox. We also emailed and highlighted on several minuted calls the requirement for all doctors to use the system. In 2012 we appointed a medical student as an administrative assistant to Dr Freeman. We did not however ask the medical student to go back to update records prior to her starting date (including those relating to the 2011 Dauphiné). Although Team Sky introduced the Dropbox system to improve the co-ordination of our medical practice, it was never intended to be a substitute for each doctor’s own individual record keeping (which they are obliged to comply with under their medical licences, in the case of British-registered doctors those issued by the General Medical Council). Some people have drawn an inference from the events around the 2011 Dauphiné that the team kept no medical notes. This is categorically untrue. It is correct that a small part of the notes for a few riders (including Bradley Wiggins) were not uploaded by Dr Freeman, but there are otherwise full records in Dropbox relating to those riders who were treated by other team doctors and physiotherapists. Since 2011 Team Sky’s medical notes system has developed significantly. Following a review we commissioned a new secure notes system to which the team's doctors, physios and medical
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Dr Freeman reported his laptop as stolen to Team Sky and British Cycling at the time it happened in 2014. Our records of this have been passed to UKAD. We understand that the laptop was encrypted and subsequently wiped remotely by British Cycling.
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assistants are required to ensure that information from all sources regarding our riders is uploaded and stored centrally and securely. So while the failure of Dr Freeman to upload his notes from the 2011 Dauphiné to the shared Dropbox system was a regrettable mistake, the team has since put in place comprehensive measures to ensure that such a situation should not occur again.
c) Triamcinolone
During UKAD’s appearance before the Select Committee, the subject of the purchase, storage and use of triamcinolone was raised. Team Sky has provided contextual information to UKAD around the ordering of triamcinolone as part of its investigation. Triamcinolone is a synthetic glucocorticosteroid that can be given by a number of different routes e.g. orally, through inhalation, topically as a cream or by injection. Injections can be given subcutaneously, intra- articular (into joints), intramuscular or around a tendon. It can be used to treat a number of different inflammatory or allergenic conditions and in the prevention of asthma. It is important to note that there is no anti-doping rule violation involved in the purchase or use of triamcinolone. Triamcinolone is only prohibited for use in competition “when administered by oral, intravenous, intramuscular or rectal routes”. Conversely, triamcinolone can be used within anti-doping rules: (1) at any time (i.e. in or out of competition) if it is not administered by one of those routes; and (2) by any route of administration if it is used out-of-competition. It has been subsequently reported in the media that as many as 70 ampoules of triamcinolone were ordered by Team Sky in 2011 alone. This is incorrect. Our records indicate that 55 ampoules of triamcinolone were ordered by Team Sky over a 4-year period between 2010 and 2013. Only a small proportion of this was administered to Team Sky riders. According to Dr Freeman, the majority was used in his private practice and to treat Team Sky and British Cycling staff. It is common in professional cycling for team doctors to provide medical services to staff who require advice or treatment, and this is part of the formal job description for all of our doctors. As well as a general practice, Dr Freeman’s offered non-riders a specialist musculoskeletal practice (having previously been Head of the East Lancashire Muskuloskeletal Medical Service for five years). We understand that triamcinolone is used commonly in that area of medicine in relation to conditions such as inflammation, arthritic joints and tennis elbow, and is administered via an intra-articular injection. While it is not possible for Team Sky to confirm why and when triamcinolone was administered to non-riders (as we would, rightly, not have access to those private medical records), with regard to riders we would only ever allow triamcinolone to be provided as a legitimate and justified medical treatment in accordance with the applicable anti-doping rules.
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2. THE EVOLUTION OF TEAM SKY’S ANTI-DOPING AND MEDICAL PRACTICES
Our commitment to anti-doping has been a fundamental principle of Team Sky since its inception. Our mission is to race and win clean. Based on the extensive experience of our current doctors we believe that the anti-doping processes and procedures we have in place are comprehensive and robust, and compare favorably with best practice in any sport. As in all areas of the team’s operation, we have sought to refine and strengthen what we do over time. To illustrate this point, we set out below 14 key areas of development in Team Sky’s medical and anti-doping practices since the team’s formation.
1. Medical oversight and governance
The Team Sky medical team consists of doctors, physiotherapists and nutritionists. In the team’s first season (2010) it comprised 6 people in total; by 2016 that had grown to 10. Some members of the team worked for Team Sky full time; others (typically doctors) were part time, contracted for a set number of days per season. Dr Steve Peters was Head of Medical between 2010 and 2012. Dr Peters established a system of oversight and governance. This included a Standard Operating Policy, doctors’ bi-weekly conference calls, daily race email updates, multi-disciplinary meetings, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and shared medical notes via Dropbox (from 2011). The composition, structure and governance of the medical team has evolved over time as challenges were encountered and the demands of Team Sky changed. The key changes are set out below.
2. Standardised medical ordering and software
Originally, ordering was done centrally across both British Cycling and Team Sky. As the number of doctors increased and the needs of the organisation became more complex, it was decided that stricter policies and monitoring were required. From 2014 all medication orders by individual doctors have been screened by one senior doctor and our financial controller. The standardised medication list is reviewed annually and certain medications (such as pain medication) have clear usage guidelines that all doctors are expected to adhere to. In 2017 the team will shortly begin using a new electronic medicine management system, which provides greater accountability and an audit trail from order to dispensing.
3. Creation and annual review of medical policies
Each year the medical team reviews its policies, updating and adding to them as required. Those policies include: • Rider consent to internal sharing of medical information (signed annually); • Doctor Standard Operating Policy, including adherence to working with “GMC Good
Practice “ guidelines (signed annually); • Physiotherapy Standard Operating Policy (signed annually); • Carers Standard Operating Policy (signed annually); • Antibiotics Policy; • Iron Supplementation Policy;
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• Heat and Cold Policy; • Analgesic Prescribing Policy; • TUE Policy; • Annual Medication Standardised List.
4. Standardising of rider medical information collation and sharing
Procedures have been put in place to ensure that all data and information regarding rider health is seen by the medical team and safely stored. This includes:
• Twice monthly Rider Conference Calls, with all medical staff invited, and selected
performance staff which are minuted and acted on; • Rider/Doctor/Coach groups, which are predetermined at the beginning of the season and give a strong axis for medical, health and performance discussions.
• Each doctor being allocated an appropriate amount of non-race time each month to update notes, speak to riders and staff and provide safe and effective care off race;
• Weekly medical update sheet sent to the coaches for weekly performance calls;
• Daily race medical and performance notes made and shared with all relevant staff and updated in medical notes as appropriate; • All external consultations and investigations are seen, acted on and filed; • Significant events are recorded and discussed with peers and learnings are shared; • Monthly medical updates are sent out to senior management team and all medical staff
concerning rider summaries and any issues or policy changes are noted; • Annual rider comprehensive screening camps are organised and documented; • Bi-annual medical update meetings are organised for all medical staff, including CPD.
5. Appointment of a full-time Compliance Officer
In 2013 Team Sky appointed a Compliance Officer to ensure oversight of the team’s policies and processes regarding anti-doping to enable them to be as robust as possible in areas such as rider recruitment. This position was, we believe, unique within professional cycling at the time. The Compliance Officer plays a crucial development role working with riders, doctors and staff to implement the team’s anti-doping policies and ensure best practice across the team. The Compliance Officer also provides regular reports to the Team Sky Board.
6. Appointment of a Medical Assistant
The team now employs a Medical Assistant (reporting to a senior doctor) whose role is to help facilitate, maintain and organise medical administration such as meetings, tests and results, minutes and action points, filing of data etc. The Medical Assistant also has responsibility for maintenance of the GMC-compliant medical notes system Cycling Squad and ensuring all medical data and notes are updated and filed correctly.
7. Doctor CPD and annual GMC compliance checks
All doctors have Diplomas in Sports Medicine or the Spanish equivalent and receive annual trauma training and appraisals performed outside the Team (e.g. by the NHS), which assesses the quality and content of their clinical and written work within the team. In addition, we provide an annual budget for doctors to seek external CPD in areas of interest of benefit to the team, such as ultrasound diagnostics or cardiopulmonary resus.
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For each doctor, annual compliance with GMC registration, Medical Defence Insurance Cover and Hepatits B status is checked annually by our Team Compliance Officer and Medical Assistant.
8. Advanced rider background checks
Staff and rider recruitment checks have been continually strengthened. As well as a review of historic Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) data for riders, we began performing extended background checks, including a standard check of CVs to identify gaps, the history of any teams that riders and staff had previously worked with, or association with any individuals with a history of doping. In 2012 we also enshrined our zero-tolerance policy by requiring all riders and staff – both existing and new – to sign an “Anti-Doping Commitment Statement”, which sets out the team’s anti-doping policies in full and the agreed adherence to these. No rider or staff member can be a part of Team Sky without having signed this Commitment.
9. The Team Sky Anti-Doping Working Group
In 2014 we created the Team Sky Anti-Doping Working Group, comprising senior management, performance and medical staff. The group was established in order to review regularly all policies and processes relating to anti-doping activity and ensure best practice; share knowledge and perspectives on all practices with an impact on anti-doping policy; help riders minimise the chance of accidental violations relating to whereabouts and supplement use.
The Anti-Doping Working Group continues to be a central part of our ongoing commitment to anti-doping. With a growing remit, the Group meets regularly to review of our existing policies and continuously looks at all areas where the way we work can be improved.
10. Rider education initiatives
Rider education is taken very seriously as part of our commitment to anti-doping. We host regular presentations for riders on compliance and best practice in these areas. We provide riders with Out-of-Competition Guidelines in order to avoid whereabouts filing failures or missed tests. Riders are required to take their responsibilities towards filing details seriously and the team advises them on practical measures they can take to avoid potential issues with Out-of-Competition Whereabouts. ABP “best practice” cards have been produced in various languages and circulated to riders, providing guidance on their responsibilities when providing blood samples for testing.
11. UKAD accreditation
Since 2015, all Anti-Doping Working Group members and team doctors have been encouraged to undertake UKAD’s Accredited Advisor course. This is to help ensure that our approach to informing riders and support staff about the values of clean sport and important anti-doping information is consistent with UKAD’s approach. Half of the group have already completed the course and the rest will do so this year.
12. Performance monitoring
Riders are expected to record and upload data after every ride or race as part of their schedule, which is then reviewed daily by the coaching team. This data - and metrics such as power output
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and weight - are used to track performance and also analysed as part of our anti-doping monitoring programme.
13. Whistleblowing Policy
Given the history of doping in road cycling, we wanted to introduce an effective internal policy that would give staff and riders a safe environment within which to raise any concerns they had, including around suspicions of involvement in doping. The Whistleblowing Policy, which we introduced in 2014, makes clear that Team Sky will not tolerate any harassment or victimisation of a whistle-blower and that any such behaviour would be treated as a serious disciplinary offence. A key element underpinning the policy is that any concerns raised would be treated in a confidential and sensitive manner and that, providing it would not hinder or frustrate any investigation, the identity of the whistle-blower would be kept confidential.
14. Independent Medical Governance Officer
As part of our efforts to further strengthen our internal processes and systems and the overall quality of our medical care, we will be appointing a new Medical Governance Officer in the coming weeks. The Medical Governance Officer will work independently and report directly to the Team Sky Board, whilst also working with and advising Senior Management and the Medical Team. The Medical Governance Officer will initially be tasked with leading a review of our existing policies with the current medical team to ensure that they follow best practice and to identify any areas which need further work.
Team Sky, March 2017 "
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