Team Sky has emerged as the top cycling superpower in the world since its inception in 2010. Chief among its renowned riders are Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins -- the latter of whom brought Britain its first Tour de France championship and who is Britain's most decorated Olympian with seven medals. He also achieved knighthood in 2013. Unfortunately for Wiggins, he finds himself having to defend himself from doping allegations being leveled by British Members of Parliament in a bombshell report released Monday.
According to the report, which spawned from a 2016 report that Wiggins applied for therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for triamcinolone before several races (including 2011 and 2012's Tour de Frances), Wiggins and Team Sky were using corticosteroids before 2012 "beyond the requirement for any TUE," according to BBC News.
Wiggins is defending himself from the allegations, strongly refuting the claims.
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. I strongly refute the claim that any drug was used without medical need. I hope to have my say in the next few days & put my side across.
— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) March 5, 2018
Team Sky also responded to the allegations, releasing a statement on its official website. Team Sky admits to guilt that it has admitted to previously (in March 2017 it said it should have known the contents of a package delivered to Wiggins back in 2011), but adds that the new report holds no weight.
The Report details again areas in the past where we have already acknowledged that the Team fell short. We take full responsibility for mistakes that were made. We wrote to the Committee in March 2017 setting out in detail the steps we took in subsequent years to put them right, including, for example, the strengthening of our medical record keeping.
However, the Report also makes the serious claim that medication has been used by the Team to enhance performance. We strongly refute this. The report also includes an allegation of widespread Triamcinolone use by Team Sky riders ahead of the 2012 Tour de France. Again, we strongly refute this allegation. We are surprised and disappointed that the Committee has chosen to present an anonymous and potentially malicious claim in this way, without presenting any evidence or giving us an opportunity to respond. This is unfair both to the Team and to the riders in question.
We take our responsibility to the sport seriously. We are committed to creating an environment at Team Sky where riders can perform to the best of their ability, and do it clean.
Team Sky has long touted itself for its brand of integrity, which makes this report extra damning. The source that the statement alludes to is described as "well-placed and respected" within the report.
The seriousness with which the allegations are treated will likely depend on the interpretation of certain rules. For starters, as BBC reports, it is not illegal to use the drugs Team Sky is said to have been using outside of cycling. Team Sky insists that the drugs were used for asthma and pollen allergies. If the TUEs were granted, then that implies that it was for a legitimate need. However, the allegations are clearly being made with a broader scope in mind, as consistent and extended use would grant a competitive advantage.
The Members of Parliament themselves explicitly call out Team Sky on page 32 of the 50-page report:
"…We believe that this powerful corticosteroid was being used to prepare Bradley Wiggins, and possibly other riders supporting him, for the Tour de France. The purpose of this was not to treat medical need, but to improve his power-to-weight ratio ahead of the race."
It goes on to say that although the use doesn't violate a written World Anti-Doping Agency rule, it does violate the spirit of them.
"This does not constitute a violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code, but it does cross the ethical line that [Team Sky GM] David Brailsford says he himself drew for Team Sky."
This is another knock on the saga of Wiggins, who has a long and sordid past with these allegations. Most infamously, he was confronted about a jiffy bag that was delivered to him. It was alleged that it was not full of the decongestant Fluimicil, as Wiggins and Team Sky's medic Richard Freeman claimed, but rather triamcinolone.
As for solutions, the report suggests that the TUE system is easily abused, corticosteroids should be banned (including triamcinolone), and the painkiller Tramadol should be banned.
This report could be some of the most damning evidence against Wiggins and Team Sky yet, but both team and rider may have already lost in the court of public opinion. International sports are always under scrutiny, whether it's for corruption or doping. But for Team Sky, this is about things like endorsements and titles as well as the integrity of cycling.
