‘Crucial Team Sky medical records stolen’

LONDON: The UK Anti-Doping chief blasted British Cycling, Team Sky and their doctor Richard Freeman for not keeping medical records which could shed light on whether star cyclist Bradley Wiggins received a banned medical product.

Nicole Sapstead, appearing before the all-party House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee looking into doping in sport, said Freeman claimed the information was lost when his laptop was stolen while on holiday in Greece in 2014.

She said she had yet to receive confirmation from Interpol as to whether the theft was reported. Freeman did not testify on Wednesday, saying he was too ill to attend.

Damian Collins, chairman of the committee, told AFP it was a damning indictment of British Cycling that Freeman had not filed the medical records correctly.

“It is a big issue that in the three years between the race and his going on holiday Dr Freeman had not uploaded the records,” said Collins referring to a drop box other doctors could access.

“This undermines the message that British Cycling and Team Sky like to put out that they are the cleanest and most ethical in the sport.

“This is a really big problem with regard to the running of the whole team and that a doctor does not file what medicines he is giving to each rider properly.

“It is a pretty damning indictment and we will be holding the governing body to account,” added the 43-year-old Conservative lawmaker.

Sapstead had hoped to bring clarity to whether a package sent out to Team Sky for eight-time Olympic gold medallist Wiggins in June 2011 at the climax of the Criterium du Dauphine contained the legal decongestant Fluimucil, as Freeman says.

It has been alleged, however, that the package contained the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone and Sapstead said although there was no record of Freeman ordering Fluimucil there were invoices for Kenalog — a brand name for triamcinolone.