BRAILSFORD – I ALSO RECEIVED TRIAMCINOLONE TREATMENT

Dave Brailsford, the Team Sky’s chief in an attempt to clear his team and its embattled 2012 Tour de France winner, Bradley Wiggins over allegations of doping, has denied any involvement of his team in wrongdoings especially in relation to the use of TUEs.

While addressing members of a British parliamentary select committee, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) chief Nicole Sapstead said that large amounts of the corticosteroid triamcinolone was in the possession of British Cycling, which shares a headquarters with Team Sky.

This led to reports that the former doctor of the team, Richard Freeman had been making use of the drugs in treating not just riders but staff of British Cycling and Team Sky.

Brailsford has as such made it known that the drug was also administered to him by the team’s medic back in 2008 in order to treat a knee injury.

In comments published in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, Brailsford said: “Whilst this is normally managed with oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, on one occasion a clinical decision was made to treat the symptoms within the joint with an intra-articular corticosteroid injection.”
He also noted that before the treatment was administered, it had been properly assessed, and he had made an informed decision, whilst subsequent monitoring was carried out in due course.

“The treatment was administered to me by our then team doctor, Dr. Freeman, who is a musculoskeletal specialist, at the velodrome in line with good clinical practice,” he added.

Brailsford went on to explain his reason for revealing personal medical information, noting that it was necessary so as to ensure that any subsequent reporting would be made based on available facts.

Whilst the report is still developing, Great Britain academy coach Keith Lambert has revealed that he was once treated with the drug.