|
Team Sky and former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins
have been in the spotlight over his use of TUEs, which allow
athletes to take banned substances for verified medical needs
and are signed off by sports federations.
UKAD has not shared much details but the local media claimed the
probe also concerned 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.
"We shouldn't be surprised when elite sports teams push to the
very limit of the rules. Perhaps that's what happened here, but
the rules appear to have been abided by," Cookson told British
media.
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.
"The issue of the substances issued to Wiggins appears to have
been within the rules," Cookson added.
"But I think there is an argument to be had about whether TUEs
for that kind of substance are valid."
(Reporting by Ian Rodricks in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan
Chakraborty)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
