Sky - gaming the system?

[toontra]

Isn't everyone asked to sign a declaration when they fly that they know the contents of their luggage?

Cope has just admitted to the parliamentary committee that he misled airport security staff by not admitting that he didn't know what was in his luggage.

UK Anti-Doping authority say Wiggins' medical records for that period are either missing or incomplete (contrary to BC and Sky stated policy) and that Sky were "resistant" to enquiries about his medical records & it took them 4 months to get to see what they needed for their enquiry (i.e. nothing!).  UKAD suggest "doctor-patient confidentiality" needs amending in such cases in future.

There are no records whatever that support Freeman's claim that it was Fluimucil in the package, which itself is illegal as Flumacil was an unregulated drug in the UK at that time and required documentation if prescribed.

No explanation from BC or Sky why no records were kept by Freeman, despite Sky's trumpeted anti-doping stance being based on full & detailed records, particularly for prescription drugs.  UKAD find this incomprehensible!

The GMC are expected to launch their own investigation.

Freeman, who received the package on behalf of the team in 2011, missed the hearing on Wednesday because of ill health.

!!!

So we have lies, obfuscation, illegality, and we're only just getting started.  Squeaky clean Sky indeed!

[simonp]

At best it's incompetent.

[Hot Flatus]

No records of Fluimucil purchase, but records of big purchase of Kenacort.

No records of who Kenacort was used on.

Clean and transparent team?   

[toontra]

Indeed. Chief of UKAD said there were large quantities of triamcinolone bought by BC/SKY but no record of where, when or to whom it had been administered (other than what we know due to the Fancy Bears leak), but it was far more than required for a single cyclist (i.e. Wiggins) and could indicate widespread use by other team members.  Without any records who knows!

[sojournermike]

Indeed. Chief of UKAD said there were large quantities of triamcinolone bought by BC/SKY but no record of where, when or to whom it had been administered (other than what we know due to the Fancy Bears leak), but it was far more than required for a single cyclist (i.e. Wiggins) and could indicate widespread use by other team members.  Without any records who knows!

Fancy bears could only leak the 'approved' use under the TUEs.

In a previous investigation is was said that one team had used corticosteroids across several team members, including the protected leader, to help them lose weight prior to a significant world tour event that was won.

[simonp]

Triamcinolone is only banned in-competition, isn't it? In which case TUE only required for use during or before a race.

[Hot Flatus]

Triamcinolone is only banned in-competition, isn't it? In which case TUE only required for use during or before a race.

In season, that is going to be most of the time.

Looks to me like Brailsford and Cope are throwing Dr Freeman under the bus. And where was Freeman yesterday when supposed to be in front of the Committee?

Absent from school with note from mummy.

And where were Freeman's records of drugs administered to Wiggins?

On laptop that was eaten by his dog stolen whilst in Greece in 2014.

[Karla]

I think we need to reassess Moto Man in the light of Sky: he was probably only going for a nice touring holiday around France, after all.

[αdαmsκι]

I think we need to reassess Moto Man in the light of Sky: he was probably only going for a nice touring holiday around France, after all.

Or just making up the trip to fiddle his expenses. We all do that, don't we?

And where were Freeman's records of drugs administered to Wiggins?

On laptop that was eaten by his dog stolen whilst in Greece in 2014.

Although the information would have been on Dropbox, had he uploaded the relevant documents as he was supposed to have done.

[Hot Flatus]

I heard a rumour about 3 years ago, from somebody with connections, that Team Sky were abusing cortisone for performance enhancing reasons.

Puts this into perspective:

Team Sky rival’s medic says TUE claims of Bradley Wiggins doctor are ‘flimsy’

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/03/cycling-tue-bradley-wiggins-richard-freeman?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

[slope]

Whilst all these shenanigans are regretably expected of 'professional' sport?

Is there any suggested alternative medication in 'the jiffy bag'?

Given that it was administered AFTER a race??

[sojournermike]

Whilst all these shenanigans are regretably expected of 'professional' sport?

Is there any suggested alternative medication in 'the jiffy bag'?

Given that it was administered AFTER a race??

After one race and before another:

- Testosterone aids recovery;) or other steroid
- EPO or one of the modern versions
- L-Carnitine
- Kenacort
- Human Growth Hormone
...

[Hot Flatus]

My support for Sky is really the support of rational thought and the rule of law over innuendo and unhinged ranting. I’m afraid I now read everything Flatus writes in the voice of his avatar.

The rule of law, eh?

Not looking so clever, are you,  now that the Parliamentary Committee AND UKAD have collectively said WTF to Sky's bullshit, and even Wiggins's former doctor has called bollocks on it. Not to mention just about any confessed doper who has commented, including Saint David Millar....brother of Team Sky's PR manager.

Not surprised you've not been back to repeat your personal attacks on me.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Whilst all these shenanigans are regretably expected of 'professional' sport?

Is there any suggested alternative medication in 'the jiffy bag'?

Given that it was administered AFTER a race??

Non-performance enhancing alternatives of the sort approved for medical use in the state of Colorado, and which Wiggins is alleged to indulge in during the off-season, on holiday in Spain?

[DrMekon]

Sky have worked it, but for me, the TUE system is what seems mental. If I can set PBs when fighting off a chest infection with a handful of pred, I can't imagine how awesome triamcinolone makes you feel.

Since I've had access to "emergency" pred and antibiotics, I've gone from being the sickliest member of the house to being the most robust - first sign of anything, down go the drugs, and nothing takes hold.

I think the trigger has pulled the finger.

[Hot Flatus]

Sky cheated the TUE system. But with Zorloli signing off a fast-tracked TUE for Froome, when it should have followed the procedure of a three person panel, we know the UCI is complicit...just as they were with that other cash cow, Armstrong, and his successor, Contador. Remember that Froome had the TUE for the Tour of Romandie, which, despite being so ill as to need large doses of Prednisolone, he not only won, but in the course of doing so beat the world TT champion, Tony Martin, in the event's TT....whilst ill.

We still don't know what was in the 'package'...
I don't think we've seen the end of this yet.

[Hot Flatus]

Now it transpires that a consignment of testosterone patches was delivered to Team Sky/BC base in Manchester.

A 'mistake' by the pharmaceutical company, apparently...and they were sent straight back.

Fancy that. Of all the things the pharmaceutical company could send by mistake...

[LittleWheelsandBig]

It should be enlightening, once the full details emerge of how the blood passport could be evaded with careful dosing of commonplace drugs (probably combined with other measures), just like microdosing of EPO was a revelation to me.

[citoyen]

Fancy that. Of all the things the pharmaceutical company could send by mistake...

As bad luck stories go, it's up there with "I slipped and my trousers fell off and somehow I ended up with my cock stuck in the vacuum cleaner".

[Hot Flatus]

But in this case the cock didn't actually get sucked up the nozzle. It was just waved around the end of the pipe a bit.

It's important to not jump to conclusions


(      )

[αdαmsκι]

Anyone able to provide a scan or photograph of the Sunday Times article that Flatus refers to about the testosterone?

Cycling News have rehashed the Sunday Times article into their own article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ukad-reveals-freeman-received-delivery-of-testosterone-in-2011/

[Hot Flatus]

It's in The Mail.

Precis:

Staff member opens package and discovers it's testosterone. Freeman challenged by Steve Peters.  Peters satisfied that it is an administrative mistake. Package sent back to supplier. Brailsford not informed.

[αdαmsκι]

Ah, OK. I thought it was in the Sunday Times because David Walsh had made reference on twitter to an article he was also publishing:



https://twitter.com/DavidWalshST/status/838173995920916480

I'd still like to find out what David Walsh has to say.
Here's the Walsh article: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/focus/team-sky-ride-deeper-into-storm-over-drugs-vcgqtrlcn  It's now possible to subscribe to The Times and get to view two articles per week for free, which is what I've just done.

And here's the Daily Mail article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-4282644/Crisis-Team-Sky-deepens-dealing-blow-cycling.html

[Cudzoziemiec]

It should be enlightening, once the full details emerge of how the blood passport could be evaded with careful dosing of commonplace drugs (probably combined with other measures), just like microdosing of EPO was a revelation to me.

Yep. "Top athlete takes PEDs" is almost par for the course. "Top cleaner than clean team on PEDs" is more interesting, but the real interest is in the collusion between athletes and the authorities supposedly keeping them clean.

Also

medicines ordered by both Team Sky and British Cycling were held in the same store room at the National Cycle Centre.

It's a bit like "Drugs ordered for the England team (which of course weren't drugs at all) given to Manchester Utd players."

[Hot Flatus]

Just seen this on CN

"The Sunday Times article also claims that in 2013 former Sky doctor Alan Farrell withheld the team’s password for the online ADAMS system from Freeman in order to prevent him from applying for a fourth TUE for Wiggins ahead of that year’s Tour of Britain."


Hmmm.