UK Anti-Doping under formal investigation by WADA after they allowed British Cycling to conduct their OWN drug probe and private testing following anomalous test in run-up to London 2012

  • UKAD is being investigated after British Cycling conducted own probes in 2012 
  • Anti-doping agency to be quizzed by WADA on failings ahead of London games  
  • UKAD have 'no record' of what happened and did not see the results from tests
  • The move is shocking as WADA mostly delve into affairs of 'rogue' organisations

British sport’s drug busters have been placed under formal investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The dramatic development follows a lengthy investigation by this newspaper into events before London 2012 when UK Anti-Doping effectively let British Cycling conduct their own private probe (including urine testing) following an abnormal test by a rider.

The move will send shockwaves around global sport as WADA are most commonly perceived to delve into the affairs only of ‘rogue’ anti-doping organisations such as Russia’s RUSADA, which was notoriously central to that country’s state-sponsored doping and cover-ups.

Today, again, the achievements of Britain¿s cyclists will be viewed through a different prism

UKAD is under investigation by WADA after British Cycling were able to conduct their own probes ahead of the 2012 Olympics

As the policing body for clean sport in the United Kingdom, UKAD should conduct any in-depth investigations, but in 2011 they let British Cycling try to track down a potential doper themselves. 


That came after a high profile British cyclist was drug-tested out of competition in late 2010 and their urine was found to contain an unusual amount of nandrolone, a banned steroid.

A group of British riders were then tested to rule out any innocent explanations. 

The management team at BC involved in the testing at the time were performance director Dave Brailsford (L) performance manager Shane Sutton (C) and psychologist Steve Peters (R)

The management team at BC involved in the testing at the time were performance director Dave Brailsford (L) performance manager Shane Sutton (C) and psychologist Steve Peters (R)

No findings were ever made public; indeed the whole episode was kept secret until now. 

UKAD themselves admit they have ‘no record’ of what happened after one of their officials green-lighted the British Cycling private testing.

The specific failings UKAD will now be quizzed on by WADA are twofold.

Firstly, that WADA’s code compels UKAD, not a sport’s governing body, to do such investigations.

Secondly, that the follow-up urine testing was carried out in a non-WADA laboratory and that UKAD didn’t even see the results.

WADA are commonly perceived to delve into the affairs of ‘rogue’ anti-doping organisations

WADA are commonly perceived to delve into the affairs of ‘rogue’ anti-doping organisations

‘We have asked our independent Intelligence and Investigations Department to look into this matter further and to contact UKAD to seek further information,’ a WADA spokesman told The Mail on Sunday on Friday night.

‘Under Article 20.5.6 of the 2009 World Anti-Doping Code, National Anti-Doping Organisations had an obligation to vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping rule violations within their jurisdiction, including investigating whether athlete support personnel or other persons may have been involved in a case of doping.

‘The elements you have provided are of significant concern to WADA.’

On the specific aspect of UKAD allowing British Cycling to test urine for nandrolone, the WADA spokesman said: ‘The rules related to the specific activities of National Governing Bodies (NGBs) are a matter for UKAD.

‘However, all such NGBs are under the umbrella of the relevant signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code and therefore bound by its terms.

Doctor Richard Freeman, who was struck off in relation to ordering a banned testosterone, was also involved

Doctor Richard Freeman, who was struck off in relation to ordering a banned testosterone, was also involved

‘Article 6.1 of the Code states that for the purposes of establishing the presence of a prohibited substance, samples shall be analysed only in WADA-accredited laboratories.

‘Any allegation that an NGB may be testing their athletes in private, in a non-accredited laboratory, for the purposes of screening for a prohibited substance should be investigated thoroughly.’

The senior management team at British Cycling at the time involved in the secret testing were a quartet comprising performance director Dave Brailsford, head of medical Steve Peters, doctor Richard Freeman and the head coach, Shane Sutton. Freeman, the former chief doctor to British Cycling and Team Sky, was struck off the medical register this month after a two-year hearing process at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, which concluded that his fitness to practise was impaired.

The Mail on Sunday team asked British Cycling a detailed set of questions, including why it went no further when contamination and naturally occurring nandrolone had been ruled out.

A spokesman for British Cycling said: ‘None of the people relevant to your enquiry now work for British Cycling and this makes it difficult to check any of the information you have sent, particularly given the events you describe are over a decade ago.

‘We are happy to check what email records we have from the time and — subject to GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] and other legal or regulatory constraints — share our findings with you. But this is not a straightforward process and will take some time so we are not able to respond before your deadline.’

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