LONDON • The doctor at the centre of controversial therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for Bradley Wiggins will face a fresh summons to appear before a parliamentary select committee, but Britain's most decorated Olympian looks set to escape a potentially uncomfortable session in front of MPs.
Richard Freeman missed last week's culture, media and sport committee meeting, saying he was unwell. Damian Collins, the committee chairman, said the panel would call Freeman again for questions on the TUEs, the "Jiffy bag" containing a drug delivered to France to be administered to Wiggins in 2011, and fresh revelations he was in charge of ordering medical supplies when testosterone patches were delivered to British Cycling in 2011, apparently in error.
Collins said, however, that there were no plans to call Wiggins as it was UK Anti-Doping's (Ukad) role to decide whether an individual athlete had committed any wrongdoing. The committee, claimed the chairman, looked at the responsibilities of organisations instead.
"We have questions for Dr Freeman which we will follow up in writing but we would still like to call him to give evidence in person when his health has recovered," Collins said.
"We felt it was not for us to pursue an individual athlete - that's Ukad's job and their investigation is continuing."
Steve Peters, British Cycling's former head of medicine, has confirmed that testosterone patches were delivered to the national cycling centre in Manchester six years ago.
Peters told The Sunday Times: "I was with a colleague when the order arrived and it was immediately brought to our attention.
"Dr Freeman, who was responsible for ordering medical supplies, explained that the order had never been placed and so must have been sent in error.
"He contacted the supplier by phone the same day and they confirmed this. I asked Dr Freeman to repack and return it to the supplier, and to make sure they provided written confirmation that it was sent in error and had been received.
"That confirmation arrived and was shown to me by Dr Freeman.
"I was satisfied that this was simply an administrative error and it wasn't necessary to escalate it further."
THE TIMES, LONDON
