Former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman has been found guilty of prescribing and ordering testosterone “knowingly or believing it will be given to an athlete to improve his athletic performance,” a medical court in Manchester ruled on Friday.
Dr Freeman has been charged by the UK Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) with ordering 30 packets of something that was banned (Testogel) for an athlete in 2011.
He had previously pleaded guilty to 18 of the 22 charges against him but said he was forced to order the banned substance by former head coach Shane Sutton.
Temporary Suspension
Sutton had denied the allegations and the court ruled that Dr. Freeman’s allegations were “false.” Following the MPTS decision, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has placed Dr. Freeman on a “temporary suspension of all sports.”
British Chief Executive Brian Facer said that Dr. Freeman had “failed in his duties as a doctor.”
Statement
In a statement, Facer said: “The finding that the 2011 delivery of testosterone gel was intended for the illegal enhancement of a rider’s performance is extremely disturbing … The wider actions of Dr Freeman described in the tribunal fall a mile short of the standards we expect.”This is a day for sober reflection and we know that will be felt by the thousands of people who race their bikes in this country and love our sport, from the Great Britain Cycling Team to the grassroots,” added the statement.”We also know that they will share our view that all those who work in our sport must adhere to the highest standards of ethical behaviour.”
Team GB, an umbrella organization for individual sports – such as cycling – at the Olympic Games, said: “We support the work of both British Cycling and UK Anti-Doping in their pursuit of the truth on this important and related issue.
“The public must be confident that those working in the sport are doing this in a professional manner. Our view is clear, that where we fall short of this responsibility we must take full responsibility for their actions.”
