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Britain's Simon Yates tests positive for banned drugGB's Simon Yates with Spain's Eloy Teruel and Russia's Kirill Sveshnikov (copyright Britishcycling.org.uk)

Britain's Simon Yates tests positive for banned drug

Orica-GreenEdge say doctor failed to complete Therapeutic Use Exemption
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Apr 29, 2016 00:15
39

Orica-GreenEdge have confirmed that British rider Simon Yates failed an anti-doping control at Paris-Nice last month. They say that the 23 year old was using the substance concerned, Terbutaline, to treat asthma, but the team doctor failed to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption.

The 2013 points race world champion rides for the Australian WorldTour team alongside his twin brother, Adam, who is due to start the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday.

In a statement, Orica-GreenEdge said:

On April 22, the team was notified that Simon Yates has an adverse analytical finding from a test conducted at Paris-Nice, stage 6 on March 12, 2016.

The positive result is for the substance Terbutaline.

The substance was given to Simon Yates in the form an asthma inhaler and accordingly, this was noted by the team doctor on the Doping Control Form, signed at the time of the test.

The substance was given in an ongoing treatment of Simon Yates’ documented asthma problems. However, in this case the team doctor made an administrative error by failing to apply for the TUE required for the use of this treatment. 

The use of Terbutaline without a current TUE is the reason it has been flagged as an adverse analytical finding. This is solely based on a human error that the doctor in question has taken full responsibility for.

There has been no wrong-doing on Simon Yates’ part. The team takes full responsibility for this mistake and wishes to underline their support for Simon during this process.

The team is concerned by the leak of this information and has no further comments until there has been a full evaluation made of the documentation, statements and evidence that the team and Simon Yates are now submitting to the UCI in order to clarify everything.

The story was broken late on Thursday evening by the Daily Mail, which subsequently named the rider involved.

More to follow.

Simon Yates
Orica-GreenEdge
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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39 comments

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Ric_Stern_RST replied to jzk | 8 years ago
0 likes

jzk wrote:

bontana wrote:

Ric_Stern_RST wrote:

Bigringrider wrote:

FWIW terbutaline needs to be re classified as they've done plenty of tests now on wether it was actually performance enhancing or not - it's not. 

there is evidence suggesting that beta2agonist of, which terbutaline is one, *is* performance enhancing. This is the case for both terbutaline and salbutamol (improving sprint performance) in inhaled form (as most asthmatics would take it) as well as different modes of administration such as in tablet form with beta2agonists having a repartitioning effect. 

 

Sorry, that is simply not right.The reason beta 2 agonists are on the prohibited list is that if given intravenously then they have an anabolic effect. 

The notion that a team doctor could prescribe a prohibited drug and forget to apply for a TUE is quite laughable. 

 

 

Actually there is evidence that inhaled terbutaline increase peak power output in certain sprint protocols (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26197029). Obviously Yates isn't much of a sprinter, and the quality of sports science research in general is laughable. But it's wrong to say that inhaled terbutaline has absolutely no effect on performance.

other evidence too, signorille et al 93 i think or 92.

plus evidence for repartitioning 

Avatar
Vili Er replied to bontana | 8 years ago
1 like

bontana wrote:

Ric_Stern_RST wrote:

Bigringrider wrote:

FWIW terbutaline needs to be re classified as they've done plenty of tests now on wether it was actually performance enhancing or not - it's not. 

there is evidence suggesting that beta2agonist of, which terbutaline is one, *is* performance enhancing. This is the case for both terbutaline and salbutamol (improving sprint performance) in inhaled form (as most asthmatics would take it) as well as different modes of administration such as in tablet form with beta2agonists having a repartitioning effect. 

 

Sorry, that is simply not right.The reason beta 2 agonists are on the prohibited list is that if given intravenously then they have an anabolic effect. 

The notion that a team doctor could prescribe a prohibited drug and forget to apply for a TUE is quite laughable. 

 

 

 

"Inhaled forms used for the treatment of Asthma and EIB have no performance-enhancing effect and so are permitted for use by WADA (world anti-doping agency). The athlete must however be in receipt of an abbreviated therapeutic use exemption (aTUE)."

 

Pretty much the norm.

Avatar
kevinmorice replied to bontana | 8 years ago
1 like

bontana wrote:

Ric_Stern_RST wrote:

Bigringrider wrote:

FWIW terbutaline needs to be re classified as they've done plenty of tests now on wether it was actually performance enhancing or not - it's not. 

there is evidence suggesting that beta2agonist of, which terbutaline is one, *is* performance enhancing. This is the case for both terbutaline and salbutamol (improving sprint performance) in inhaled form (as most asthmatics would take it) as well as different modes of administration such as in tablet form with beta2agonists having a repartitioning effect. 

 

Sorry, that is simply not right.The reason beta 2 agonists are on the prohibited list is that if given intravenously then they have an anabolic effect. 

The notion that a team doctor could prescribe a prohibited drug and forget to apply for a TUE is quite laughable. 

 

 

 

Read on...

 

Avatar
kitkat | 8 years ago
4 likes

cycling has issues with asthma, tennis has heart conditions. Come on you cheats, stop it!

Avatar
Molti | 8 years ago
11 likes

Cycling must be incredibly good for asthma,  judging by the number of asthmatics who make it to Pro level. Just sayin'

Avatar
Vili Er replied to Molti | 8 years ago
8 likes

Molti wrote:

Cycling must be incredibly good for asthma,  judging by the number of asthmatics who make it to Pro level. Just sayin'

 

'Just sayin'

 

Do your parents know you're using the internet again?

Avatar
Xwheels replied to Vili Er | 8 years ago
1 like
Bigringrider wrote:

Molti wrote:

Cycling must be incredibly good for asthma,  judging by the number of asthmatics who make it to Pro level. Just sayin'

 

'Just sayin'

 

Do your parents know you're using the internet again?

You're sounding like a fuddy duddy!

Avatar
ColT | 8 years ago
12 likes

I guess it was a junior doctor working a 36 hour shift?

 

[Too soon?]   3

Avatar
ibr17xvii replied to ColT | 8 years ago
2 likes

ColT wrote:

I guess it was a junior doctor working a 36 hour shift?

 

[Too soon?]   3

 

He should be on strike!

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