WORLD cycling boss Brian Cookson says it is “regrettable” that anyone would try to talk down Chris Froome’s achievements.
Some have suggested Team Sky’s image prevents Froome’s success being widely acclaimed, following negative publicity in recent times.
It began with Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford’s handling of questions regarding a package which was delivered to Bradley Wiggins during the Criterium du Dauphine in 2011.
The fall-out from that issue, together with hackers leaking information that Wiggins had received therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for the otherwise banned drug triamcinolone in the build-up to the 2011 Tour, his 2012 Tour win and the 2013 Giro d’Italia, has cast doubt over Team Sky’s clean image.
Wiggins strenuously denies any wrongdoing, and prior to the Tour Froome signed a new contract with Team Sky and stated: “I’ve been here since the beginning and I’ve never seen anything untoward. I don’t have any trust issues. I can’t make it any more plain.”
Cookson, the president of cycling’s world governing body the UCI, said in a radio interview: “Firstly, it’s an absolutely superb performance, there’s no doubt about that. Historically not many people have achieved anything like this, so hats off to him.
“I think it is regrettable that people have a negative view of success. I have to assure everyone that all teams are treated equally and that our anti-doping procedures, for example, are rigorous and independent with no conflicts of interest and so on.
“We have taken huge steps in our sport in the last few years to ensure that we are absolutely the best in the class, as it were, with anti-doping. There will always be resentment of success from some quarters, I guess, but Team Sky and all of the other teams are treated equitably and fairly.”
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