Home > News

Michael Barry on ‘unethical’ abuse of legal medication at Team Sky

Canadian reveals he saw young riders 'heavily' abusing sleeping pills and painkillers despite teams denial

Michael Barry

Michael Barry

Former Canadian pro Michael Barry spent three years riding for Team Sky. After cooperating with the investigation into Lance Armstrong by the USADA and admitting to doping during his time at the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, he retired from the sport and accepted a six-month ban. In a recent interview with The Telegraph Barry has expanded on his concern about the abuse of legal medications within the peloton.

In 2014, Team Sky adamantly denied Barry’s claim that they were abusing the painkiller Tramadol. Team Sky firmly insisted it had been their firm policy for riders to not train or race on the controversial medication.

Since, Team Sky’s ethics have come under scrutiny for a host of other reasons. The UK Anti-Doping Agency is preparing to publish the findings of an investigation into Sky while a parliamentary committee has had questions for Sky’s general manager Dave Brailsford for a medical package that was delivered to Bradley Wiggins at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné. Wiggins, who capped off his career with an Olympic gold medal in Rio retired at the end of the year but not without a cloud hanging over his head relating to therapeutic use exemptions he received throughout his career including before his race winning ride at the Tour de France. Critics questioned his justification for receiving the TUE for a corticosteroid to treat asthma.

Michael Barry

Barry remembers his time with Sky with affection and is not out to vilify his former team. Instead, he believes the ethical problems in the sport are putting athletes health at risk and it’s a wider problem than just for Sky. His concerns surrounding the use of Tramadol, which has side effects including drowsiness and dizziness, stemmed from seeing it’s side effects and abuse of it by athletes which he believed was making the peloton more dangerous.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Barry explained. “What this has highlighted is not just a ‘doping’ issue. It is a health issue. Taking care of athletes should be a team’s priority. Instead everyone involved has a ‘bias’, from the mechanics to the team directeurs – everybody’s jobs are reliant on the athletes’ performances,” The 41-year-old said. “So priorities are skewed, and people will do whatever they can to gain an edge, whether pharmaceutical or technological. But this wasn’t just a problem at Sky. It’s a problem for the sport in general.”

Michael Barry

It’s this what Barry calls “unethical” use of legal medication which is concerning about Sky’s and other teams conduct. He does not believe they crossed the line using doping that would be a punishable offence. “The thing with doping is that there is a black and a white,” he told The Telegraph. “Did the team cross into the black? No, in my opinion. They didn’t dope, but there is a grey area. The use of painkillers falls into that grey area. Tramadol falls into that grey area.”

His criticism of his former team and the scrutiny they are under may seem to vindicate his prior criticism but it brings no joy to Barry. “I loved my time with the team, I had a great experience there. But, ethically, I really started questioning the use of the Tramadol, and the sleeping pills, especially when you see the younger riders using this stuff heavily. If we went into a medical clinic and just asked their GP, they probably wouldn’t give these out. And that is not ethical.” Barry says he brought his concerns to the attention of team management knowing they could lead to their abuse, addiction or become a gateway to more powerful substances.

In an extract from his book Barry writes about the experience of bringing his concerns to the team’s attention.
“I asked if one doctor would ever give the pill [Tramadol] to a patient under similar circumstances in an office setting. He said no. I asked if he was concerned about what would happen if a rider crashed and it was found he had a drug in his body which normally came with a warning that it should not be consumed while operating a vehicle. He was silent.

Michael Barry

“I asked how he would feel if insurance wouldn’t cover a rider who had crashed with the drug in his system. He was silent. I asked how he would feel if that rider died. Silence, again. I suggested that the team should maintain an inventory of the drugs given out at each race and pass it along to the doctor at the next race. To my knowledge, that was never done.”

The news of the package delivered to Wiggins at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné came to Barry as a surprise. He was not aware of the delivery and said to his knowledge that was not how the team usually operated.

“The riders have personal relationships with the doctors and the management. I didn’t know what other guys were ingesting and what they weren’t, or what treatments they were getting. By that stage of my career, I had decided to race on my own terms.”

Michael Barry

Barry now builds Mariposa frames in his family’s workshop. He Advises the Canadian Anti-Doping Agency and the North American Riders association. Barry maintains the omerta in cycling persistent and the sport is resistant to criticism even when his intentions are good.

“I’ve learnt through this process not to be judgmental of other people. On a certain level, it is understandable” Barry explains about Sky’s insistent denial that they never prescribed medication when it was not necessary. “When it comes to opportunities, it isn’t just to do with the omerta in cycling. Sponsors and teams don’t want to be associated with people who have a tainted past.”