The fallout from British Cycling and Team Sky’s unconvincing performance in parliament continued on Tuesday as the chair of the culture, media and sport select committee, Damian Collins, told the Guardian he was considering calling Simon Cope, the official who travelled 900 miles to France to bring Team Sky a decongestant that could have been bought in a local pharmacy for €8, for questioning.
There was also confusion over whether Sir Bradley Wiggins’ medical records had been passed to UK Anti-doping (Ukad) as promised by the Team Sky team principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, in parliament. Sources claimed he was yet to do so but others close to Wiggins insisted the 2012 Tour de France winner had done everything possible to cooperate with the inquiry.
On Monday Collins pressed Brailsford three times over the issue, asking him whether he agreed Wiggins’ medical details should be checked to see whether it corresponded with what he claimed had been treatment for the decongestant Fluimucil. “You’re absolutely right,” Brailsford replied. “And my understanding is they have been made available to Ukad.” Later the Team Sky principal said: “If Bradley had taken something he shouldn’t, then he was tested afterwards, and my understanding is that would have created an AAF [adverse analytical finding]. So I think the fact he has shared his medical records for that time is very much a step in the right direction.”
Team Sky and British Cycling are also likely to face further questions about their use of Fluimucil – which Brailsford has used regularly – given it has emerged acetylcysteine (the brand name for Fluimucil) is a medicine only available by prescription in the UK because it is an unlicensed drug. That means there should be a paper trail stating who prescribed it and when. However, it is understood Ukad has yet to be presented with incontrovertible paper evidence of what was in the package.
Collins said he remained “open” to interviewing Cope and bringing back previous witnesses in the new year, but said he would wait for Ukad to publish its investigation into a medical package delivered to Sky at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June 2011.
In October Cope told Cycling News the package was “nothing to do with Brad” and that there was “no story”. Events in parliament on Monday proved otherwise. “We are open to calling people back to ask them further questions,” added Collins. “At this stage we are not ruling anything out.”
Cope would be likely to be asked explain his movements after delivering the package to Team Sky. On Monday Brailsford said the coach was coming to France anyway to help with the logistics of moving the team to another venue in northern Italy. However, a few minutes earlier Sutton told the committee he shared a car back to Geneva airport after Cope had made the delivery.
“I’m hoping to get Ukad report early in the new year, but if we feel we can find out extra information we will look at interviewing Cope,” Collins said. “Certainly we want to find out whether Cope went to Team Sky specifically to deliver this package or whether he was going out to France anyway.”
Collins also expressed concern about reports Brailsford had apparently offered a “more positive story” to the Daily Mail journalist Matt Lawton in September in a bid to stop him writing about Team Sky. “We need to know when he knew what was in the package, and why he was seeking to close down a perfectly legitimate enquiry,” Collins said. “It was perfectly right for Lawton to pursue this. Brailsford needs to explain what he knew and when – and why he didn’t tell Lawton what was in the package when he was first asked.”
A Team Sky spokesman said they remained fully behind their team principal despite the claims in the Daily Mail and his admission to the select committee on Monday that he had made mistakes.
“During the committee session, Dave acknowledged once again his own mistakes in handling the issue over recent months,” he said. “We are continuing to cooperate fully with Ukad and we look forward to their report. We are confident that when Ukad report, it will be clear there has been no wrongdoing.”
A British Cycling spokesperson said they were seeking clarification from Ukad about whether they were able to investigate the medical package as requested by the MPs on Monday.
