Testosterone delivery to British Cycling HQ was 'administrative error'

The National Cycling Centre took delivery of a package of testosterone patches in 2011, British Cycling's former head of medicine has admitted.

The latest revelation around the troubled governing body, which was put down to an administrative error, also centres on Dr Richard Freeman.

Freeman's role in Sir Bradley Wiggins' use of the powerful corticosteroid triamcinolone via therapeutic use exemptions while riding for Team Sky, and in the delivery of a jiffy bag to Wiggins at a race in France in 2011, has come under intense scrutiny.

Freeman, who still works for British Cycling, pulled out of his much-anticipated appearance before the Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Wednesday, where he had been due to answer questions about the contents of the jiffy bag, citing illness.

He was the man in charge of ordering medical supplies when the testosterone patches were delivered to the cycling centre in Manchester six years ago.

Dr Steve Peters, then head of medicine at British Cycling, told the Sunday Times:

British Cycling declined to comment when approached by Press Association Sport on Sunday.

The Sunday Times also alleged Freeman's fellow doctors working at Team Sky were unhappy with Wiggins' use of TUEs and denied him access to a new password to apply for a fourth exemption in 2013.

Team Sky were not willing to comment on those claims on Sunday, but a spokesman said they would issue a response at a later date.