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Froome was found to have double the allowed
amount of the legal drug Salbutamol in his system in a test
after stage 18 of the Vuelta, which he won, on Sept. 7, the
International Cycling Union confirmed on Wednesday.
Froome tweeted on Thursday: "It's sad seeing the misconceptions
that are out there about athletes & salbutamol use. My hope is
that this doesn't prevent asthmatic athletes from using their
inhalers in emergency situations for fear of being judged. It is
not something to be ashamed of."
Team Sky rider Froome, 32, risks being banned from cycling,
which has struggled for decades with doping scandals, and could
lose his Vuelta title if he cannot provide a satisfactory
explanation for the adverse test finding.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the four times Tour de France
winner admitted the finding was "damaging" to his reputation.
"It has come as a huge shock to me," he said. "But at the same
time, I know that within me I have fundamentally followed the
protocol. I have not overstepped any boundaries."
(Reporting by Matt Westby; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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