Before Richard Freeman's medical tribunal, former British Cycling Federation technical director Shane Sutton denied that a delivery of 30 bags of testosterone patches delivered to British Cycling Federation headquarters on May 16, 2011, was intended for him.
According to the BBC, Freeman is expected to testify in medical court that he lied about the Testogel shipment.
In March 2017, the UK Anti-Doping Investigation found evidence that Freeman took a shipment of test gel from the Manchester Velodrome, the headquarters of British Cycling, in 2011. Dr. Steve Peters, the head of drug affairs at the time, was told that the shipment had been made in error and asked Freeman to repackage and return the drugs.
While the investigation was underway, Freeman resigned as a physician for Team Sky and British Cycling in October 2017 due to ill health and is now facing charges of misconduct before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Services He has been charged with.
The General Medical Council investigation drew 22 allegations against Freeman, including ordering testosterone, administering testosterone, making false statements, and asking suppliers to back up claims that drugs were delivered in error.
Freeman contested only three of the charges.
The court date was originally scheduled for February 2019, but repeated postponements pushed it back to October 28. Freeman attended preliminary consultations in advance of the court date, which is now scheduled for November 5.
In his witness statement, Sutton denied knowledge of the delivery and denied that the testosterone was intended for him.
Freeman's counsel Mary O'Rourke QC cross-examined Sutton, the only witness. Freeman's lawyers also requested that a screen be set up between him and the media when he testifies, and that a screen be set up between Freeman and Sutton for the hearing. Hearings would be limited to a maximum of three hours per day.
Freeman said that during the UKAD investigation and another investigation into the so-called "jiffy bag" delivered to Team Sky at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphiné, he suffered major depression and became suicidal from stress. He has since sought medical attention and stopped practicing sports medicine.
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