Chris Froome cleared for Tour de France after UCI drops doping investigation
By Elliot Howey
Chris Froome has had his anti-doping investigation dropped by the cycling governing body and is set to ride in this year’s Tour de France.
Team Sky rider Chris Froome was under investigation from the UCI, after the British rider reportedly had double the levels of the drug salbutamol in his system. The sample was taken after stage 18 in the 2017 Vuelta a Espana.
The four-time Tour de France champion takes Salbutamol as medication for his asthma, a condition Froome has suffered from, since an early age. The drug itself is not the issue, it’s the amount found within the riders sample, which prompted an investigation from WADA (World Anti-doping Agency).
However, WADA has now confirmed that they have accepted the explanation by Froome. The UCI released a statement earlier today, which stated: “In light of Wada’s unparalleled access to information and authorship of the salbutamol regime, the UCI has decided, based on Wada’s position, to close the proceedings against Mr. Froome.”
Team Sky’s team principal Dave Brailsford added some more clarity to the situation, stating:
"We said at the outset that there are complex medical and physiological issues which affect the metabolism and excretion of Salbutamol.The same individual can exhibit significant variations in test results taken over multiple days while using exactly the same amount of Salbutamol. This means that the level of Salbutamol in a single urine sample, alone, is not a reliable indicator of the amount inhaled.A review of all Chris’s 21 test results from the Vuelta revealed that the Stage 18 result was within his expected range of variation and therefore consistent with him having taken a permitted dose of Salbutamol."
The UCI and WADA were seemingly forced into publicly resolving the Froome case after reports surfaced yesterday that the Englishman had been denied entry to the Tour by race organizers after they claimed he would damage the image of the Tour de France and the organizers.
The 2017 Tour de France champion was clearly happy about the case being resolved, the Sky rider said: ”I am very pleased that the UCI has exonerated me. While this decision is obviously a big deal for me and the team, it’s also an important moment for cycling.”
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Froome added: ”I understand the history of this great sport – good and bad. I have always taken my leadership position very seriously and I always do things the right way. I meant it when I said that I would never dishonour a winner’s jersey and that my results would stand the test of time.”
The news would have been welcomed by both Team Sky and race organizers as the investigation into Froome is nearly 10 months on and has only just been resolved today while Froome will be hoping to put the last year behind him and focus on the Tour which starts on July 7.