MPs accuse Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky of 'crossing ethical line’ over drug use
2 min read
Cycling star Sir Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky “crossed an ethical line” by using performance-enhancing drugs, a damning report by MPs has said.
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee blasted Britain’s top Olympian, accusing him and his then-team of using an allowed drug to help him against opponents, rather than for medical needs.
The two-year investigation into doping in elite UK sport also hit out at Team Sky for "failures of management" and keeping poor medical records.
The former Tour De France champion’s use of triamcinolone to treat an allergy ahead of the Tour was exposed in 2016 after Russian hackers hit the World Anti-Doping Agency.
It found Sir Bradley had used Therapeutic Use Exemptions, or TUEs, before the Tour in 2012 - the year he won - as well as in 2011 and before the 2013 Giro d'Italia, so he could legally take the steroid before racing.
The report states: "We believe that this powerful corticosteroid was being used to prepare Bradley Wiggins, and possibly other riders supporting him, for the Tour de France."
It also says that former Team Sky chief David Brailsford should take responsibility for "the damaging scepticism about the legitimacy of his team's performance and accomplishments".
"The purpose of this was not to treat medical need, but to improve his power to weight ratio ahead of the race,” it added.
"In this case, and contrary to the testimony of David Brailsford in front of the committee, we believe that drugs were being used by Team Sky, within the WADA rules, to enhance the performance of riders, and not just to treat medical need."
Sir Bradley strongly denied he had used the drugs without medical need.
"I find it so sad that accusations can be made, where people can be accused of things they have never done which are then regarded as facts," he said.
"I strongly refute the claim that any drug was used without medical need. I hope to have my say in the next few days and put to my side across."
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