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Big Ben © Simon MacMichaelMPs' investigation to examine use of controversial drug tramadol in pro cycling
A House of Commons Select Committee that is investigating doping in sport and has quizzed people connected with British Cycling and Team Sky including Sir Dave Brailsford, is to examine the use of the powerful painkiller tramadol in professional cycling, the Guardian reports.
While tramadol does not appear on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list, its use within professional cycling is controversial, which is why the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport plans to focus on the issue.
Some believe that the drug may have been responsible for crashes in the peloton due to side-effects including dizziness feeling drowsy, and teams signed up to the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) - which Team Sky does not belong to - have agreed not to administer it to riders.
The select committee’s chair, Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins, told the Guardian: “There are a number of lines of inquiry that remain open and tramadol is one of them,” said Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee.
“Given the amount of evidence we had last week we want to take stock and see if there are further questions.”
He added that had former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman appeared before the select committee last week, he would have been quizzed about tramadol.
Retired pro cyclist Michael Barry, who left Team Sky in September 2012 and the following month received a six-month ban after providing evidence to the investigation into US Postal, another of his former teams, claimed in his 2014 autobiography that he had used Tramadol while with the British team.
Last month, he said that the team’s medical staff had offered younger members of the team the drug, which Barry maintains falls into a “grey” area with its use questionable on ethical grounds.
> Team Sky’s approach to drugs “not ethical” says former rider Michael Barry
In response to Barry’s comments from 2014, Team Sky insisted at the time that “None of our riders should ride while using tramadol – that’s the policy of this team,” and that it was not used in racing or training.
Another former Team Sky rider who served a doping ban and is now also retired, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, claimed that in 2012 when he was the Great Britain’s protected rider at the world championship road race in the Netherlands that he and other cyclists on the team were “freely offered” Tramadol - something team-mates and management denied.
The news that MPs will be investigating the use of tramadol in the sport comes after a bruising week for Team Sky.
Last week, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) chief executive Nicole Sapstead said that the amount of the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone that Freeman had ordered was excessive for use by one rider.
Sir Bradley Wiggins was allowed to use it under a therapeutic use exemption, including ahead of his Tour de France victory in 2012, although it has been claimed by riders who have been caught cheating that it does have have strong performance enhancing effects.
Sapstead also spoke about the lack of documentation for the Jiffy Bag that former British Cycling coach Simon Cope - who also testified last week - delivered to Freeman at the Criterium du Duphine in 2011.
Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford has claimed it contained a permitted decongestant, Fluimcil, but Collins and others are far from convinced.
> From zero tolerance to zero credibility - Team Sky and Brailsford under attack
The weekend saw further claims in the national press against Team Sky, including that a delivery of testosterone patches was made to Freeman in Manchester - he claims the arrival of that package was due to an administrative error - and that other medical staff on the team took steps including changing computer passwords to try and prevent Freemen securing TUEs for Wiggins.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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19 comments
Was given Tramadol after a particularly nasty crash on the bike. Took one tablet and felt very woosy (but not in a good way). Anybody riding a bike on that must be nuts
When I had Tramadol in hospital after breaking lots of bones, it made me vomit and was awful. Then I had one dose of Ketamine, brilliant! The milder painkillers did very little, but didn't feel I could request more ketamine. A colleague's career nosedived because she got addicted to Tramadol, which was initially promoted as not being addictive. Wife says I am still addicted to cycling, but that's a good thing surely. Would not like to encounter a pro cyclist doped up on Tramadol.
I have been on tramadol - it did nothing for me, not even helping with the pain I was in. I recall horrible constipation, but that could've been the morphine.
was it a team sky party or at the house of commons?
Not satisified with ruining our economy and NHS, now that want to get involved in destroying a sport we are good at!
Anyone ever taken Tramadol. Not pleasant. Hullicinations including a little man on my shoulder, maps appearing on walls and barbed wire crawling out of the fireplace and walking across the carpet.
Most of Team Sky it would seem
When I took it, I had a very pleasant experience riding on a flying carpet. But I sure wouldn't want to ride a bike when taking it.
If Tramadol is not on WADA's list, why is there yet another witch hunt being conducted by MP's?
Pointless waste of time and money, but our appointed representatives who should concentrate on real issues, i.e. deaths on the road etc, etc.
How would Sky know they don't use it?
All their data might be on that 'stolen' laptop . . . . . .
Wonder if we'll ever get an enquiry into MP doping?
They don't seem that bothered when those running the country are getting rent boys and taking coke.
Great news!
Rather than find out why cyclists are regularly killed on our roads by dangerous drivers, our MPs are investigating a legal drug used by some cyclists. It warms my heart to see our representatives so concerned about the real issues.
Exactly this. Why are MPs wasting their time and our money looking at this? The sport already has a governing body.
because even auto-erotic aspixiation with a pair of tights and an orange gets boring after a while?
Yeah because British Cycling are doing such a great job aren't they...Missed drugs tests, sexism, bullying, failing to keep records, dodgy doctors, stolen laptops, using performance enhancing drugs the list goes on.
I absolutely understand your frustration in MPs failing to address the greater issue however, Sky and British Cycling are linked. Their cultures were the same for quite some time. This investigation would be irrelevant if it was only about Team Sky but because of their relationship to the lottery funded British Cycling, it warrants a review. Both can be accomplished, a review of the Highway Code with respect to cyclists and a comprehensive review of Sky/BC, however, the 'sexy' story is that of the potential takedown of a team that claimed to be the most clean and transparent in cycling at a time when US Postal/Lance Armstrong's story was unraveling.
Because Damian Collins is a grandstanding narcissist who likes his name in lights.
He's on Facebook's case today
you do know that both of these things are his job? He's an elected MP and chair of the parliamentary committee that officially oversees both British Cycling and Facebook, the Culture Media and Sport committee. It's their job to investigate these subjects on our behalf, they hold organisations accountable on our behalf. Not a perfect system, but I'm glad it exists.
Too right he's on Facebook's case. The BBC reported a load of dodgy pictures, FB ignored them, then when the BBC raised it with them, FB asked for the pix to be sent to them for further investigation, and when the Beeb did, FB reported the BBC to the police!
as for BC/Team Sky, someone needs to get a grip, and the grilling they're getting from Lewis etc is clearly overdue
There are numerous committees across parliament, each with a select number of members, the activities of one don't generally prevent the activities or operation of another. In case you'd missed it, the all-parliamentary cycling group (or whatever it was called) was active in something like 2015-2016 - cue wishywashy response from Cameron/Osborne -it certainly got covered on road.cc
Well if Sky insist they no longer use it then surely that's case closed? Sky have repeatedly told us they are a clean team.