Team sky doctor - found guilty

[Ymx]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/56367117

British Cycling and Team Sky chief doctor Richard Freeman has been found guilty of ordering banned testosterone in 2011 "knowing or believing" it was to help dope an unnamed rider.

A medical tribunal ruled Freeman ordered Testogel with the knowledge "it was to be administered to an athlete to improve their athletic performance".

He had previously admitted 18 of 22 charges but denied the central charge regarding the purpose of the order.

His hearing will resume on 17 March.

That is when the tribunal will consider if Freeman's "fitness to practise is impaired".

During the tribunal, which has lasted for more than two years, Freeman said he was bullied into ordering the drug by former British Cycling and Team Sky performance director Shane Sutton to treat his erectile dysfunction.

Sutton denied those claims, and claimed Freeman was lying. The tribunal ruled Freeman's claims were an "elaborate falsehood".

It ruled that the motive for Freeman's actions was to "conceal his conduct". Only one charge was found not proved - that he knew the Testogel was not "clinically indicated" for Sutton.

The tribunal found Freeman's actions "incapable of innocent explanation".

In the tribunal's written reasons, it said: "In May 2011, Dr Freeman, the team doctor for a team of elite cyclists and a member of the anti-doping working group, ordered a doping 'drug of choice' for that sport. Upon its arrival he was dishonest about why it had been sent, removed it from the Velodrome, and it was never seen again. The Tribunal found that Dr Freeman has been dishonest in its regard ever since."

In a statement following the GMC verdict, Sutton said he was "saddened by the whole affair".

"I feel for the doctor; that he ever got into this situation, and I remain disappointed that I was used as a scapegoat," he said. "It has caused great pain to both me and my family.

"But it also saddens me that this episode has cast a huge shadow over the success we enjoyed, both at Team Sky and British Cycling. I'd like to stress that neither I nor Sir Dave Brailsford [general manager of Team Sky (now Team Ineos) and former performance director of British Cycling] knew about the testosterone order. But I think it's important to find out who the doctor ordered it for."

What is the background?

Freeman, who was simultaneously employed by British Cycling and Team Sky between 2009 and 2015, resigned from British Cycling in October 2017 because of ill health. He had already left Team Sky.

Freeman's medical tribunal began in November 2019 after he was accused by the General Medical Council (GMC) of ordering 30 sachets of Testogel to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester in May 2011, "knowing or believing" the banned drug was intended to boost an athlete's performance.

He admitted 18 of 22 charges against him, including initially lying to try to cover up the order, and misleading a UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) investigation.

But Freeman denied the remaining four charges, including the accusation he helped to dope a rider, saying he was bullied into ordering the drug by Sutton.

Freeman failed in his bid to have the four remaining charges thrown out, but the tribunal chair said there was a "case to answer for all outstanding matters".

The tribunal was then repeatedly adjourned on medical grounds, with his lawyer Mary O'Rourke QC saying Freeman, who has bipolar disorder, was too unwell to attend.

It eventually resumed in October 2020. Giving evidence for the first time, Freeman said he used "a screwdriver or blunt instrument" to destroy a laptop which may have contained medical data crucial to the investigation for fear that information could be hacked.

He told the tribunal he had secretly taken the package of Testogel home on the night it was delivered to the National Cycling Centre and washed it down the sink.

He later claimed he was unaware of testosterone's performance-enhancing benefits, and insisted the issue of doping had never arisen between himself and former British Cycling medical director Dr Steve Peters.

His cross-examination by GMC QC Simon Jackson lasted for seven weeks.

On 26 November, his tribunal was once again adjourned to resume on 22 January 2021, extending it into a third year. Freeman then requested a further adjournment so that he could help deliver the Covid-19 mass vaccination programme but his request was denied.

Final submissions were completed at a hearing in February. The verdict had been due on 2 March, but was pushed back to 12 March after the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service said further time was required.

Other controversies

Freeman has been at the centre of a number of controversies.

In 2017, Ukad closed a 14-month investigation into a 'mystery' medical package delivered for Sir Bradley Wiggins at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2011, having been unable to establish what the package contained.

Freeman insisted it had been a legal decongestant and denied any wrongdoing, despite allegations of the misuse of anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone.

Wiggins was also granted therapeutic use exemption (TUEs) to take triamcinolone shortly before three major races - the 2011 Tour de France, his 2012 Tour win and the 2013 Giro d'Italia. However, Freeman - who applied for those TUEs on Wiggins' behalf - said it was always within the rules.

Wiggins, British Cycling, and Team Sky (now Team Ineos) have always denied wrongdoing.


July 2018: Former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Freeman - We never crossed the line
In February, Freeman was charged by Ukad with "possession of a prohibited substance" and "tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control".

A charge of tampering would cover an attempt to subvert any aspect of doping control, including an investigation.

Freeman is understood to have contested part of the charges, and requested a hearing.

If found guilty by an independent national anti-doping panel, Freeman could face a four-year ban from sport.

Attention will turn to the Ukad inquiry once his medical tribunal ends.

In a statement on Friday, Ukad chief executive Nicole Sapstead said: "While the charges are pending, Dr Freeman is subject to a provisional suspension from all sport."

[Ymx]

No idea what the knock on effects are of this for the cyclists, but it just popped in my news feed. And remembered some here are pretty knowledgeable cyclists

[Insane_Homer]

Wiggins*

[laurent]

Not surprised in the least.

[ScarfaceClaw]

He was as guilty as a puppy next to a pile of poo. “Unaware of the performance enhancing benefits of testosterone”. Fk me sideways.

[Uncle fester]

No idea what the knock on effects are of this for the cyclists, but it just popped in my news feed. And remembered some here are pretty knowledgeable cyclists

Not just cyclists. It'll cast a shadow over all of British sport, including much of their recent Olympic successes.

[JM2K6]

No idea what the knock on effects are of this for the cyclists, but it just popped in my news feed. And remembered some here are pretty knowledgeable cyclists

Not just cyclists. It'll cast a shadow over all of British sport, including much of their recent Olympic successes.

Why?

It was a notoriously dirty sport, run by a very secretive and closed-knit team. There's no evidence that Team Sky / Team GB Cycling being dirty means any of the others are at all under more suspicion than they'd have been from the start. It's like saying that the Ireland victory over Wales in 1996 is suspicious because of Michelle Collins' drug taking, or the Wallabies wins in 2011 because of the Cronulla Sharks doping scandal.

[laurent]

No idea what the knock on effects are of this for the cyclists, but it just popped in my news feed. And remembered some here are pretty knowledgeable cyclists

Not just cyclists. It'll cast a shadow over all of British sport, including much of their recent Olympic successes.

Why?

It was a notoriously dirty sport, run by a very secretive and closed-knit team. There's no evidence that Team Sky / Team GB Cycling being dirty means any of the others are at all under more suspicion than they'd have been from the start. It's like saying that the Ireland victory over Wales in 1996 is suspicious because of Michelle Collins' drug taking, or the Wallabies wins in 2011 because of the Cronulla Sharks doping scandal.

Sky was Team GB.

[JM2K6]

Not just cyclists. It'll cast a shadow over all of British sport, including much of their recent Olympic successes.

Why?

It was a notoriously dirty sport, run by a very secretive and closed-knit team. There's no evidence that Team Sky / Team GB Cycling being dirty means any of the others are at all under more suspicion than they'd have been from the start. It's like saying that the Ireland victory over Wales in 1996 is suspicious because of Michelle Collins' drug taking, or the Wallabies wins in 2011 because of the Cronulla Sharks doping scandal.

Sky was Team GB.

Yes. Sky was Team GB Cycling. That's why I wrote it that way.

[laurent]

Why?

It was a notoriously dirty sport, run by a very secretive and closed-knit team. There's no evidence that Team Sky / Team GB Cycling being dirty means any of the others are at all under more suspicion than they'd have been from the start. It's like saying that the Ireland victory over Wales in 1996 is suspicious because of Michelle Collins' drug taking, or the Wallabies wins in 2011 because of the Cronulla Sharks doping scandal.

Sky was Team GB.

Yes. Sky was Team GB Cycling. That's why I wrote it that way.

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

[JM2K6]

Sky was Team GB.

Yes. Sky was Team GB Cycling. That's why I wrote it that way.

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

[laurent]

Yes. Sky was Team GB Cycling. That's why I wrote it that way.

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

Not all team / Cyclists are dirty.

[JM2K6]

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

Not all team / Cyclists are dirty.

Sure okay #notallcyclists but it's a notoriously dirty sport regardless. Which is what I said.

[Uncle fester]

Yes. Sky was Team GB Cycling. That's why I wrote it that way.

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

Kind of funny that the success all happened at the same time though.
This is what drug cheating does, it spreads a stain on everything.

[JM2K6]

Let's just say that all season long Team GB on the Piste was good but not excellent and in the World Champ/ Olympics they happened to be untouchable.
That raised a lot of suspicion.

Cycling has cleaned up however there are still dodgy operators. Not exclusively sky/Ineos far from it.

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

Kind of funny that the success all happened at the same time though.
This is what drug cheating does, it spreads a stain on everything.

Grand Conspiracy it is, then.

Or, you know, evidence that properly funding sports brings results / evidence of the distorting effect of vast amounts of funding

[fishfoodie]

The cycling team being dirty does not alter the likelihood of the other teams being dirty. Unless you're claiming grand conspiracy, which, well...

Kind of funny that the success all happened at the same time though.
This is what drug cheating does, it spreads a stain on everything.

Grand Conspiracy it is, then.

Or, you know, evidence that properly funding sports brings results / evidence of the distorting effect of vast amounts of funding

When you have a sports doctor; who makes the claims he does; & has admitted destroying one laptop with crucial evidence; claims a 2nd laptop was stolen on holiday (despite no evidence of notifying Police or anyone else), & generally lies, obstructs, & has been involved in a series of mysterious pharmaceutical transactions with Sky athletes; it's not that surprising that a lot of people ask; 'Cui bono ?'

Freeman didn't; & he's now a ruined man; so tell us; who benefited; if not BC & Sky

[Lobby]

Kind of funny that the success all happened at the same time though.
This is what drug cheating does, it spreads a stain on everything.

Grand Conspiracy it is, then.

Or, you know, evidence that properly funding sports brings results / evidence of the distorting effect of vast amounts of funding

When you have a sports doctor; who makes the claims he does; & has admitted destroying one laptop with crucial evidence; claims a 2nd laptop was stolen on holiday (despite no evidence of notifying Police or anyone else), & generally lies, obstructs, & has been involved in a series of mysterious pharmaceutical transactions with Sky athletes; it's not that surprising that a lot of people ask; 'Cui bono ?'

Freeman didn't; & he's now a ruined man; so tell us; who benefited; if not BC & Sky

That’s all fair enough, but Fester was claiming that all of British sport was implicated/stained by association, not just the cyclists.

[JM2K6]

Kind of funny that the success all happened at the same time though.
This is what drug cheating does, it spreads a stain on everything.

Grand Conspiracy it is, then.

Or, you know, evidence that properly funding sports brings results / evidence of the distorting effect of vast amounts of funding

When you have a sports doctor; who makes the claims he does; & has admitted destroying one laptop with crucial evidence; claims a 2nd laptop was stolen on holiday (despite no evidence of notifying Police or anyone else), & generally lies, obstructs, & has been involved in a series of mysterious pharmaceutical transactions with Sky athletes; it's not that surprising that a lot of people ask; 'Cui bono ?'

Freeman didn't; & he's now a ruined man; so tell us; who benefited; if not BC & Sky

Team GB Cycling / Team Sky (and probably Bradley Wiggins specifically). At no point have I suggested otherwise. Fester seems to think that this means everything is tainted, though, which is just silly.

[Sandstorm]

Wait. I thought we’d already established the Team GB’s excellent medal haul at London 2012 was drugged related?

[Uncle fester]

Wait. I thought we’d already established the Team GB’s excellent medal haul at London 2012 was drugged related?

The others are just catching up.

[eldanielfire]

He was as guilty as a puppy next to a pile of poo. “Unaware of the performance enhancing benefits of testosterone”. Fk me sideways.

It amazes me some of the utter Bull Shit some people will claim in these situations.

[Lobby]

Wait. I thought we’d already established the Team GB’s excellent medal haul at London 2012 was drugged related?

The others are just catching up.

By that logic can we now assume that Ireland’s Grand Slams in 2009 and 2018 are tainted by Michelle Collins’ drug offences, and it just took them a long time to catch up?

[Niegs]

Huh! I shouldn't be surprised because I've been bringing my own pillow and mattress everywhere and my cycling hasn't really improved at all!

[fishfoodie]

Huh! I shouldn't be surprised because I've been bringing my own pillow and mattress everywhere and my cycling hasn't really improved at all!

Are you warming down after your ride ?

No body ever did that before sky.

[Ymx]

What kind of odd deflection technique is Wiggins up to?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/raci ... ven-493408

Bradley Wiggins: ‘Freeman case stinks to high heaven’
The former Team Sky rider says a further investigation is needed to get to the bottom of who the banned Testogel was for

Bradley Wiggins has said the Dr Richard Freeman case “stinks to high heaven”, and that although he doesn’t believe the order of the banned Testogel was for a rider, that a further investigation is necessary to uncover exactly what happened in order to remove the “cloud hanging over” the whole scandal.

“The whole think stinks to high heaven. It’s been ten years now but it wants looking into further. Yes he’s been found guilty and it falls on his head but who else’s head does it fall on? Now, can we look into it a bit further and ask ‘what exactly happened? Someone must know?'” Wiggins said on his Eurosport podcast.

“I don’t know anyone in their right mind who would have used that for doping in that particular period, particularly with the amount of testing in that time, the blood passport, in-house testing, out-of-competition if you lived in the UK with UKAD, we tallied it up earlier and I was probably tested 56 times that year. And I was winning a few races and stuff which puts you in more stringent testing.

“Yes we know it was Testogel, there’s nothing new there, but what needs to happen now is alleviate this assumption that it must have been for a rider. Well not necessarily, it might have been for a staff member, might have been for a female athlete, might have been for someone in another sport.”

[fishfoodie]

and he's been struck off.

One of the easier decisions the board has had to make.

Ex-British Cycling and Team Sky chief doctor Richard Freeman has been struck off the medical register permanently.

The sanction came a day after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) ruled Freeman's fitness to practise was "impaired by reason of his misconduct".

The General Medical Council (GMC) recently found Freeman guilty of ordering banned testosterone in 2011.

It said he ordered it "knowing or believing" it was to help dope an unnamed rider.

[laurent]

and he's been struck off.

One of the easier decisions the board has had to make.

Ex-British Cycling and Team Sky chief doctor Richard Freeman has been struck off the medical register permanently.

The sanction came a day after a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) ruled Freeman's fitness to practise was "impaired by reason of his misconduct".

The General Medical Council (GMC) recently found Freeman guilty of ordering banned testosterone in 2011.

It said he ordered it "knowing or believing" it was to help dope an unnamed rider.

They can give the Olympic medals back too ...

[JM2K6]

I don't think he has any.

Do we think there's any hope for any further investigation here or is this where it dies?

[fishfoodie]

I don't think he has any.

Do we think there's any hope for any further investigation here or is this where it dies?

There's little appetite in BC, or, from UK-AD, & it's not a good look for me to have the main drive coming from the Media, the GMC, & the CMS Committee. It's now Four Years since they started pulling at the threads, & UK-AD has done fuck all in that time.

The biggest potential for more to happen; is obviously from Freeman himself. If he decides to start telling the fucking truth; then we might see some of the main instigators, & beneficiaries of the doping, be brought to Justice. Right now, that's his only chance at some redemption.

[fishfoodie]

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has launched an investigation after it emerged that the sample of a British Cycling rider contained traces of the steroid nandrolone after a test in late 2010.


Wada has told BBC Sport that it has now asked its Intelligence and Investigations Department to look into the matter, and to seek further information from UK Anti-Doping (Ukad).

Nandrolone is known as a 'threshold substance', where the amount found in a sample needs to be above certain thresholds to trigger action by an anti-doping organisation.

Back in late 2010, Ukad is understood to have told British Cycling that one of their riders' samples had contained a low level of nandrolone, possibly on the basis that it could be because of a health issue or a contaminated supplement.

Wada's investigation is likely to examine whether either of these explanations were established as the cause, and what further action may have been taken by Ukad.

The inquiry will also look at whether British Cycling subsequently conducted its own private testing of riders.

Now I wonder how; a decade+ later; that WADA fastened onto one test, from one rider, & came up bingo ...... ?

[Lobby]

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has launched an investigation after it emerged that the sample of a British Cycling rider contained traces of the steroid nandrolone after a test in late 2010.


Wada has told BBC Sport that it has now asked its Intelligence and Investigations Department to look into the matter, and to seek further information from UK Anti-Doping (Ukad).

Nandrolone is known as a 'threshold substance', where the amount found in a sample needs to be above certain thresholds to trigger action by an anti-doping organisation.

Back in late 2010, Ukad is understood to have told British Cycling that one of their riders' samples had contained a low level of nandrolone, possibly on the basis that it could be because of a health issue or a contaminated supplement.

Wada's investigation is likely to examine whether either of these explanations were established as the cause, and what further action may have been taken by Ukad.

The inquiry will also look at whether British Cycling subsequently conducted its own private testing of riders.

Now I wonder how; a decade+ later; that WADA fastened onto one test, from one rider, & came up bingo ...... ?

The implication of that report is that no action was taken at the time because the amount of nandrolone was below the threshold to trigger formal action. I assume they haven’t focused on one rider, but rather this was the only report of any rider having any level of nandrolone, and so they are now asking if any further investigation was undertaken at the time.

[eldanielfire]

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has launched an investigation after it emerged that the sample of a British Cycling rider contained traces of the steroid nandrolone after a test in late 2010.


Wada has told BBC Sport that it has now asked its Intelligence and Investigations Department to look into the matter, and to seek further information from UK Anti-Doping (Ukad).

Nandrolone is known as a 'threshold substance', where the amount found in a sample needs to be above certain thresholds to trigger action by an anti-doping organisation.

Back in late 2010, Ukad is understood to have told British Cycling that one of their riders' samples had contained a low level of nandrolone, possibly on the basis that it could be because of a health issue or a contaminated supplement.

Wada's investigation is likely to examine whether either of these explanations were established as the cause, and what further action may have been taken by Ukad.

The inquiry will also look at whether British Cycling subsequently conducted its own private testing of riders.

Now I wonder how; a decade+ later; that WADA fastened onto one test, from one rider, & came up bingo ...... ?

The implication of that report is that no action was taken at the time because the amount of nandrolone was below the threshold to trigger formal action. I assume they haven’t focused on one rider, but rather this was the only report of any rider having any level of nandrolone, and so they are now asking if any further investigation was undertaken at the time.

That might be true. But given GB Cycling has years now of claiming that their success was because they let nothing to chance, logged an detailed every possibly "marginal gain", by the sports top cyclists to give every chance of winning then reverts to "our medical lads don't even know what Testosterone is for when even a P.E. A-Level student does" and lost data all over the place, it become unbelievable in the whole context of things.

[fishfoodie]

Now I wonder how; a decade+ later; that WADA fastened onto one test, from one rider, & came up bingo ...... ?

The implication of that report is that no action was taken at the time because the amount of nandrolone was below the threshold to trigger formal action. I assume they haven’t focused on one rider, but rather this was the only report of any rider having any level of nandrolone, and so they are now asking if any further investigation was undertaken at the time.

That might be true. But given GB Cycling has years now of claiming that their success was because they let nothing to chance, logged an detailed every possibly "marginal gain", by the sports top cyclists to give every chance of winning then reverts to "our medical lads don't even know what Testosterone is for when even a P.E. A-Level student does" and lost data all over the place, it become unbelievable in the whole context of things.

I thought the most disturbing aspect was that WADA appears to be looking into the relationship between the National Anti-Doping agency; & a National Sporting agency.

Why was UKAD tipping off BC that riders were; "glowing" ?

[eldanielfire]

The implication of that report is that no action was taken at the time because the amount of nandrolone was below the threshold to trigger formal action. I assume they haven’t focused on one rider, but rather this was the only report of any rider having any level of nandrolone, and so they are now asking if any further investigation was undertaken at the time.

That might be true. But given GB Cycling has years now of claiming that their success was because they let nothing to chance, logged an detailed every possibly "marginal gain", by the sports top cyclists to give every chance of winning then reverts to "our medical lads don't even know what Testosterone is for when even a P.E. A-Level student does" and lost data all over the place, it become unbelievable in the whole context of things.

I thought the most disturbing aspect was that WADA appears to be looking into the relationship between the National Anti-Doping agency; & a National Sporting agency.

Why was UKAD tipping off BC that riders were; "glowing" ?

Indeed. The whole thing stinks where GB Cycling is concerned. I can't believe people still defend them though.

[fishfoodie]

Looks like WADA is wondering about the BC / UKAD Relationship too.

British Cycling is facing scrutiny over a request its former chief doctor made to UK Anti-Doping to share athlete biological passport data a few months before the Rio Olympics.

In January 2016 Richard Freeman wrote about the proposal to several senior officials at the governing body.

In an email seen by the BBC, the ex-British Cycling doctor suggested asking riders for monthly test results "for statistical analysis similar to that performed by anti-doping agencies".

"This is an opportunity to… give warning of targeted testing," he wrote.

Freeman said it would allow "early detection in fluctuations of the riders' ABP (athlete biological passport)" and give "time for riders to consider reasons as to why there are fluctuations and prepare a defence".