British Cycling conducted secret drug tests on riders
New information surfaces from 2011
Update: It is being reported in the British media that a rider rode away from a drug tester, just prior to the 2012 Olympics. Apparently. while out training, a high-level British cyclist was pulled over by a drug control officer, and told to stay nearby. However, the rider was apparently annoyed to be asked to give a urine sample. as they had just started a training ride. The world class rider then rode away, which is strictly against the rules. The drug tester did nothing, and the rider suffered no repercussions.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released a statement about their investigation, dubbed “Operation Echo” that has confirmed “potential wrongdoing by individuals in both British Cycling and UKAD” (United Kingdom Anti-Doping) in 2011.
British Cycling allegedly conducted clandestine drug tests on some of its riders just prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games, according to the investigation.
Secret tests
Furthermore, WADA discovered that former British Cycling staff broke anti-doping rules by performing unauthorized tests on some of their riders for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. The tests were said to be done as part of a study by British cycling into contaminated supplements.
The samples were then collected by British Cycling staff, as opposed to official doping control officers, which goes against all protocols. The riders were also told by the staff that their results would not be presented to UKAD, or WADA.
In the statement WADA director Gunter Younger said that “Operation Echo has confirmed potential wrongdoing by individuals in both British Cycling and UKAD at that time.” He continued that “Operation Echo makes no corrective recommendations as those involved in the events of 2011 are no longer employed by UKAD, and UKAD has already put safeguards in place to avoid a repeat occurrence.’
Additional allegations
The report also delved into allegations from March of this year that UKAD had communicated data from individual biological passport to the UK Cycling in 2016. WADA said it found no evidence confirming this allegation.
This is not the first time British Cycling has come under fire for doping allegations. In 2011, Richard Freeman, a former doctor for British Cycling, was fired for having ordered testosterone to be delivered to the sporting headquarters.
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