Dr Richard Freeman, the doctor at the centre of the furore surrounding the delivery of a package of “medical substance” to British riders, will not travel with the team to the cycling Road World Championships this week.
British Cycling said on Saturday Freeman would not accompany the team to the championships in Doha, Qatar. “This was a decision jointly reached by the team management and Richard,” the governing body said. “The riders in Doha will instead be supported by UCI medical team [sic] at the worlds, alongside the usual GBCT support staff.”
Andy Harrison, British Cycling’s programmes director, said: “This was a decision taken with the best interests of Richard and the riders at heart. We have every confidence that the team will get all the support they need.”
UK Anti-Doping investigators have met British Cycling staff as the crisis engulfing the sport reached the home of the national governing body, which it shares with Team Sky.
Two Ukad officials travelled to the Manchester Velodrome on Friday. Ukad would not comment further to “protect the integrity of the investigation”. Nor would it disclose whether the meeting was prearranged or the result of an unannounced visit.
The initial Ukad announcement came after reports last week that the anti-doping authority is investigating Team Sky and Sir Bradley Wiggins over the contents of a medical package delivered by Simon Cope, the British Cycling coach, to the Team Sky doctor Freeman in France on 12 June 2011, ahead of that year’s Tour de France. It is unclear what the package delivered to Freeman contained.
The Daily Mail reported that Ukad is looking at what that package contained.
Wiggins said in a statement yesterday: “I welcome this investigation.” Team Sky are “confident there has been no wrongdoing” and had asked British Cycling to contact Ukad. British Cycling said it is “cooperating fully”.
