Simon Yates: British Cycling accused of leaking failed drug test by Orica-GreenEdge team owner Gerry Ryan
Ryan alleges that someone at British Cycling informed one of his friend's that a cyclist had failed a drug test three days before the news was made public
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Your support makes all the difference.Orica-GreenEdge team owner Gerry Ryan has accused British Cycling of leaking information about Simon Yates’s positive drug test before the British cyclist had the chance to “go through the due process” of presenting his case.
Ryan, who is in Leeds for the start of the Tour de Yorkshire, said he was disappointed at how Yates’s “adverse analytic finding” had been handled by the national governing body, and alleged that a friend of his was informed of the failed test by someone at British Cyling three days before the news broke.
Speaking to cyclingtips.com, Ryan said: “Three days ago, someone within British Cycling told an Australian friend of mine, that there’s a rider who tested positive.
“I’m disappointed that Simon hasn’t had the opportunity to put his case forward. I’m disappointed at British Cycling to leak that Simon has tested positive before the case has been heard and there hasn’t been a B-sample.”
“When I was president of CA [Cycling Australia], myself and the CEO would go through the due process,” added Ryan. “You’ve got to go through the due process and allow the rider to present his case and the statements from the doctor.”
News emerged late on Thursday night that Yates had tested positive for the banned substance Terbutaline, with reports in the Daily Mail later confirmed by British Cycling in an official statement.
“British Cycling can confirm that it has been notified by the UCI [Union Cycliste Internationale] of a potential anti-doping rule violation against a British rider based on an analysis of a sample provided in-competition,” the statement read.
“As with any other doping violation charge at this level, those proceedings will be managed independently of British Cycling by the UCI.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further until the process has been completed.”
The Bury-born 23-year-old tested positive for the banned substance – used to treat asthma – following stage six of last month’s Paris-Nice race, and Orica-GreenEdge have since confirmed that an “administrative error” made by the team doctor led to the positive sample, adding “there has been no wrongdoing on Simon Yates’ part”.
Ryan added that both the team doctor and Yates have given statements to the UCI. “The doctor has given his statement. The rider has given his statement,” Ryan added. “It’s going to be presented tomorrow.
“On a positive note, I believe in the culture and the infrastructure we’ve got here [at Orica-GreenEdge]. I’m just disappointed in British Cycling.”
Yates remains free to compete as he has not been suspended by either his team or the UCI, although he has been unable to take part in the Tour de Yorkshire regardless due to a recent knee injury. A UCI statement confirmed that no ban will be imposed while his B-sample is yet to be tested.
The statement read: “As per the UCI’s anti-doping rules, such [a] substance does not entail the imposition of a provisional suspension. The rider has the right to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.”
Yates has been exonerated of blame by his own team due to the team doctor’s failure to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption [TUE], which would have allowed Yates to compete while taking terbutaline had it been granted.
“The substance was given to Simon Yates in the form of an asthma inhaler and accordingly this was noted by the team doctor on the Doping Control form signed at the time of the test,” an Orica-GreenEdge statement read.
“The substance was given in an ongoing treatment of Simon Yates’s 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 wrongdoing on Simon Yates’s part. The team takes full responsibility for this mistake and wishes to underline their support for Simon during this process.”
The accusation comes at a time when British Cycling is facing a crisis after the resignation of their technical director, Shane Sutton, just 100 days before the start of the Rio Olympics. Sutton has been accused of making sexist and derogatory remarks about Team GB cyclists by a number of athletes that have worked with him.
Sutton had denied all accusations made against him, but decided that is was best that he stepped down from his role with the national governing body and welcomed the investigation in the claims as it gave him a chance to defend himself.
When contacted by the Independent, British Cycling refused to comment on Ryan’s accusation.
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