One of British cycling great Bradley Wiggins’ former team doctors has expressed his “surprise” at the decision to allow Wiggins to use a corticosteroid ahead of three major races.
Prentice Steffen questioned the move by the International Cycling Union to grant Wiggins a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the powerful corticosteroid triamcinolone, which he was permitted to take just days before the 2012 Tour de France, which he won, as well as the 2011 Tour de France and the 2013 Giro d’Italia.
Steffen was multiple Olympic champion Wiggins’ doctor at Garmin Slipstream, with whom he finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France before the Briton joined Team Sky.
Wiggins’ TUE history was made public last week when his medical records were leaked.
Steffen on Friday told the BBC’s Newsnight program that the leaked details of Wiggins’ exemptions did not “look good.”
“I was surprised to see there were TUEs documented for intramuscular triamcinolone just before three major events — two Tours de France and one Tour d’Italia,” Steffen said.
“You do have to think it is kind of coincidental that a big dose of intramuscular long-acting corticosteroids would be needed at that ... exact time before the most important race of the season,” he said. “I would say certainly now in retrospect it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t look right from a health or sporting perspective.”
A cyberespionage group known as “Fancy Bears,” which is believed to be Russian, has been leaking medical data about famous athletes after targeting records held by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
US tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, US gymnast Simone Biles and Wiggins’ Team Sky teammate Chris Froome have also been the subject of leaks.
The targeted athletes have been revealed to have received exemptions for the use of substances that would usually contravene anti-doping rules.
TUEs can be issued to athletes who have an illness or condition that requires the use of normally prohibited medication. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any of the athletes.
Wiggins requested exemptions in order to use triamcinolone to treat his asthma.
“There’s nothing new here. Everyone knows Brad suffers from asthma,” a spokesperson for 36-year-old Wiggins said.
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