Dr Richard Freeman charged with violating anti-doping rules

The former British Cycling and Team Sky chief doctor Richard Freeman – who is currently approaching the end of an extremely long-running fitness-to-practise medical tribunal – has now been charged with two violations of anti-doping rules by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad). If found guilty, he could face a four-year ban from sport.

Freeman’s medical tribunal is now entering its closing stages with a verdict due on March 2.

Freeman has admitted 18 of the 22 charges brought against him by the General Medical Council (GMC), including ordering the banned substance Testogel, but he denies that he did so “knowing or believing” that it was intended for use by an athlete.

The BBC reports that Ukad has now charged Freeman with "possession of a prohibited substance" and "tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control".

It is being reported that while he is contesting the former charge, he has admitted the latter.

Ukad has declined to comment.

At his tribunal, Freeman has claimed that he ordered Testogel patches for former British Cycling and Team Sky coach Shane Sutton to treat his erectile dysfunction.

On Friday his legal counsel Mary O’Rourke QC gave her closing submission, saying: “The short question is this: did Richard Freeman make up the story about blueies and brownies and what Sutton said to him about a younger partner at the weekend? Going back to his wife – his then wife – and struggling to get it up? You have to decide whether that story has the ring of truth or it’s fabricated.”

O’Rourke also floated the possibility that, “Sutton was getting [the Testogel] for nefarious purposes and had a rider he coached who wanted it.”

The GMC has said there is “no evidence” for the claim that Freeman was bullied into ordering the Testogel by Sutton, and argues the doctor has been seeking to exploit his former colleague’s poor reputation to protect himself.