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news
Sir Bradley Wiggins at Stage 2 of 2015 Tour de Yorkshire - picture Alex WhiteheadSWpix.comWiggins clarifies ‘no needles’ claim following leak of medical records
Sir Bradley Wiggins has clarified comments about his use of needles following the recent leak by Russian hackers which showed he had injections of triamcinolone before the 2011 and 2012 Tour de France races and before the 2013 Giro d'Italia. Wiggins also said that controversial Belgian doctor Geert Leinders, a doctor with Team Sky in 2011 and 2012, had nothing to do with those therapeutic use exemption (TUE) applications.
Wiggins’ use of triamcinolone – which came to light after Russian hackers published medical data from the WADA database earlier this week – has raised questions in some quarters as the drug was delivered via an injection. Wiggins has previously claimed to have strictly adhered to British Cycling’s ‘no needles’ policy.
In his book 'Bradley Wiggins: My Time', published in November 2012, Wiggins wrote:
“British Cycling have always had a no-needle policy, it’s been a mainstay of theirs; so it was something I grew up with as a bike rider. In British cycling culture, at the word ‘needle’ or the sight of one, you go, ‘Oh shit’, it’s a complete taboo...I’ve never had an injection, apart from I’ve had my vaccinations, and on occasion I’ve been put on a drip, when I’ve come down with diarrhoea or something or have been severely dehydrated.”
The triamcinolone injections were used to treat the cyclist’s asthma.
In a statement to the Press Association today, a spokesman for Wiggins said:
“Brad's passing comment regarding needles in the 2012 book referred to the historic (illegal) practice of intravenous injections of performance enhancing substances which was the subject of the 2011 UCI law change.
“The triamcinolone injection that is referred to in the WADA leaks is an intramuscular treatment for asthma, is fully approved by the sport's governing bodies and Brad stands by his comment concerning the use of illegal intravenous needle injections.”
Wiggins also denied that his TUEs had anything to do with Leinders, who was last year banned because of doping offences committed while he was with the Dutch Rabobank team from 2002-09.
“Brad has no direct link to Geert Leinders. Leinders was 'on race' doctor for Team Sky for short period and so was occasionally present at races dealing with injuries sustained whilst racing such as colds, bruises etc. Leinders had no part in Brad's TUE application; Brad's medical assessments from 2011-2015 were processed by the official Team Sky doctor, and were verified by independent specialists to follow WADA, UCI and BC guidelines.”
The latest batch of British athletes to have had details of TUEs leaked by the Russian hackers includes Laura Trott . The four-time Olympic gold medallist, who has spoken frequently about her asthma, required a TUE for salmeterol and salbutamol between 2009 and 2013.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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25 comments
Having had a few of these injections into a joint I can well see the advantage of having one before a tour. It is pretty clear what happened here, It's not systematic doping but he got tues from a friendly doctor so he could use a drug on the banned list and not for any genuine urgent medical reasons.To suggest otherwise is to put your head in the sand.
'Realistically, for most of us if we had a bad asthma episode and the doc said he could give us an injection that: a) would make it better and
b) as a happy side effect might make us a bit stronger on our next few rides,
and we had an event coming up, we'd take it like a shot (no pun intended)'
It is just coincidence that Wiggin's only bad asthma episdoes occurred just before his biggest races of the years in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and that a side effect of the medicine is weight loss which would help in a grand tour?
I'm asthmatic and I have been prescribed prednisolone but feel very uncomfortable with the idea that someone should be competing if they are poorly enough to be on steroids. When I was prescribed steroids my peak flow was just above 300 vs my normal peak flow of 800, I couldn't finish sentences because I ran out of breath before the end of them and I needed to go up the stairs on all fours!
I also suffer with hayfever and hadn't previously heard of kenacort being used to treat that. I presume Brad has found an alternative treatment to help him with the symptoms as he hasn't has a TUE for that since he stopped riding grand tours.
Throw my hands up there, I would take it. That's why I don't hate on guys caught pinning. Fine to call them out, but that's the end of it.
Only guy that bugged me was Armstrong, but that's cos of all that nastiness with another rider's wife - bullying and the like. Trying to bankrupt people, wreck their lives. The f**k has that got to do with cycling. Doping has always been there, over a century of it. But Armstrong brought in an era of disgrace.
The fact that in his book he specifically stated "apart from vaccinations" clearly gives the reader the impression (and surely is designed to) that no other injections took place (e.g. vitamins or TUEs), not just that he didn't dose up on EPO or HGH.
After his recent comments regarding Lizzie Armistead I hope someone mentions the phrase "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" to him
Clearly, Wiggo dropped the ball a bit by saying in print "I've never had an injection.." but, you have to put the comment in perspective.
Realistically, for most of us if we had a bad asthma episode and the doc said he could give us an injection that: a) would make it better and
b) as a happy side effect might make us a bit stronger on our next few rides,
and we had an event coming up, we'd take it like a shot (no pun intended) without thinking "ohh...I think this is doping....". I think any competitive sportsperson if offered a "within the rules" boost, would take it knowing everybody else would too, and it would be such a routine / normal thing it wouldn't even register on the moral / ethical radar of a strongly competitive person.
I also don't really think he needed to / should have had to issue the justification but I admit it looks a little bit messy now he has.
Seems to me it is part of the competitive make up of sportspeople (pro and amateur) to sieze every advantage - either during, before or after an event - to ensure they come out top. Some of those advantages include having an ability / opportunity to play the system (potentially using the TUE thing) - it's an accepted part of the game, surely?
As non pro's we will not change that, nor ever really know the whole truth - for any sport.
IMHO (before anybody shoots me down).
Here's another informed view (Cycling Ireland doctor) , looks like the choice of steroid adminstered is also an issue. Not following best practice guidlines and using an extremely powerful medication for something that could have been remedied with a less powerful medication that stranlgely emough doesn't offer the little "pick me up" the one used does.
http://www.stickybottle.com/coaching/medical-opinion-why-details-of-pros-leaked-tues-are-worrying/
Really good read, and insight from a sports scientist insider on this:
http://cyclingtips.com/2016/09/team-sky-tue-controversy-why-one-medical-...
Good read! Basically says it's not evidence of doping but it is 'ethically worrying' in regards to the image that Sky projects.
Jeez. This forum is full of the most involved experts who must all work for the teams accused. Otherwise you don't bloody well know. If you are then please identify yourself. You are guessing at best and indulging in your own sad little fantasies hoping to appear big in some pathetic little way.
Its childish, moronic and thoroughly disgusting. Crawl back to the stone you belong under and stop dragging the world down to your own shit ridden level.
while I'd normally agree with you on this point, in this case the majority of the discussion is very much based on the facts from his book, the WADA hack and his statement.
I'm sure he'll not make such broad statements about no needles again.
Bit melodramatic there chief. Nobody is guessing or fantasising. We are discussing facts - maybe you should read the article above as it details the facts of the case.
Couldn't agree more mate, every comments section seems to a attract some nasty, little, no-mark dickhead.
Never mind the injections, the fact that sky employed Leinders and have never been truly questioned is more of an issue. He shouldn't have been touched with a man with a stick. A large stick.
Kadinski, did I go to school with you? You were a dickhead then. Remember the swimming pool event? You still owe me for the bleach.
Lets check the quote again shall we?
Not quite the same as "HAD NEVER HAD AN INJECTION" is it?? "facts" eh?
Pure speculation on my part - I wonder if he had mentally grouped the 'Triamcinolone' with the vaccinations? It not a vaccine - but it is designed to suppress symptoms.
Also - We are talking about a pro cyclist here... You do know blood testing is involved right? - so a "no needles policy" does need to be taken in context.
My Opinion: We are taking about a prescribed drug here. I don't have a problem with TUE's being administered, however the TUE process hinges on the rigour and accountability of the doctors doing the prescribing, and I would like to see more done to ensure that the doctors are independent of outside influences.
Yeah, mentally he must have equated the vaccinations he had as a child to the banned drugs he had injected during the TDF as a 31 year old.
It seems British Cycling's "no needles" policy is a bit like those "hover boards" which don't hover and aren't boards. There were needles and everyone said "yes" to them, even WADA. Hopefully the analogy won't carry on to the point where it all blows up in their faces.
Yeah, but cricketers tell the press "I got a pain killing injection in my back to alleviate the symptoms of my injury" (or whatever)
Brad categorically states "I have never had an injection..."
Of course its right to question his credibility once he has been caught lying about taking injections.
It is disingenuous to say that he is lying when he tells you exactly when he has and hasn't had injections. How exactly is him telling you 'getting caught'?
If TUE's are an issue then why don't we see the same athletes getting the same passes before every event? It all seems rather random, a bit like, you know, getting sick occasionally.
I'm not sure what you mean? He had injections of banned drugs before the 2011 and 2012 TDFs. Then after that he said he has never had an injection. Literally. He actually said he HAD NEVER HAD AN INJECTION.
He got caught when his medical data was hacked and released a few days ago. Then, when caught, he released a statement saying 'oh, yeah, I meant I had never used a needle apart from the illegal drugs I injected under TUE'
Those are facts. I'm not sure what your argument is to be honest.
Well if you read the extract from the book - he says that he's never had injections APART from when he has. That's what he's said. So you're wrong ?
he is lying. "I adhere to british cycling's no needle policy (except when i have asthma, then i use needles, but it's okay coz there are no banned substances in it)
i do not think he is a doper, but ffs, stop the "i am so clean i don't even use needles (except when i have asthma, then i use needles, but it's okay coz there are no banned substances in it)"
i'm a vegan, i don't even look at meat, except when i had bacon but it's okay coz it was not tasty
FFS we are always hearing about cricketers getting various bits of themselves injected. The point is, these things have been declared openly to the authorities; its not like swapping piss with a mechanic, freezing your own blood and hiding from testers. Get a grip people. If you can't believe its possible to win within the rules then I don't know why you are still watching.
Kadinkski, you aren't an Antivaccer, are you?
"I’ve never had an injection, apart from [when] I’ve had my vaccination"
"Oh. Shit, umm..."
"I've never had illegal intravenous needle injections, apart from, oh, well...."
Credibility = zero
Thanks for the clarification Brad. So the "no needles" policy could have more accurately and concisely been described as a "needles" policy.