Publications
Partners
London - Team Sky boss David Brailsford has said his
handling of allegations of wrongdoings within British Cycling amid an
anti-doping investigation was "stupid".
The anti-doping agency (UKAD) has not shared details of its
probe but local media claimed it concerned Team Sky and former Tour de France
winner Bradley Wiggins and the alleged delivery of a medical package to team
Sky in June 2011 after the Dauphine Libere race and ahead of that year's Tour.
Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France winner, has been in the
spotlight over his past use of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), which allow
athletes to take banned substances for verified medical needs and are signed
off by sports federations.
Brailsford, also a former British Cycling performance
director, has denied any wrongdoing and said the TUEs were medically necessary.
"I'm not proud of the way I handled this. I relayed the information before I had the full facts. With hindsight, that was stupid, I've made it a damn sight worse than it needed to be," Brailsford told British media.
"I gave a running commentary and on two occasions, that
proved to be inaccurate. From what was a small fire, I've inadvertently thrown
a huge amount of petrol on it.
"You've got to look yourself in the mirror, I've got to
hold my hand up, I've not done a very good job of this one."
Data leaked last month by the Russian-based Fancy Bears
cyber hacking site claimed Wiggins had been given permission to have legal
injections of the banned drug triamcinolone to treat breathing difficulties
before the 2011 and 2012 Tour de France and 2013 Tour of Italy.
On each occasion the TUE was approved by British authorities
and cycling's governing body, the UCI, and there is no suggestion Wiggins broke
any rules.
"I trusted the process and the system. There were no alarm bells ringing in my head. I think 100 per cent I'd have done the same thing again," Brailsford added.
