Team Sky has achieved many successes over the years, mainly in stage races, but this has also been accompanied by doping rumors. Bradley Wiggins had to defend himself in the past as well. The now 45-year-old Brit is reluctant to say much about it, but he does allow himself a striking statement.
Wiggins makes this statement in connection with the release of his book The Chain. In it, the multiple Olympic champion and Tour winner tells his story about a life marked not only by Olympic gold medals and a Tour de France victory, but also by abuse and addictions.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Times, he is also asked about the infamous 'jiffy bag' case. This case concerns the suspicious package delivered in 2011 to the then Sky team. This package allegedly contained cortisone, which supposedly helped Wiggins win the 2012 Tour.
"There was something bigger at play," Wiggins now says about the matter. "Team Sky threw me under the bus at the time to protect someone else. The truth will come to light someday," the former rider remains mysterious.
The investigation opened in the past mainly focuses on a mysterious package that was allegedly delivered in Geneva on June 12, 2011. A report by the British Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee stated that Wiggins used corticosteroids through a TUE on the run-up to the 2012 Tour de France.
A TUE (therapeutic use exemption) is an exception where a rider is allowed to use an otherwise prohibited substance for medical reasons. However, there are doubts about the medical necessity of this TUE and the extent to which Wiggins benefited from these substances. According to researchers, several Sky riders were treated with triamcinolone to better cope with the 2012 Tour de France. In that Tour, Wiggins finished first and teammate Chris Froome second, nearly four minutes behind.
Wiggins denies all allegations. The multiple Olympic champion states that he did not take anything that was not medically necessary. Sky, the team Wiggins rode for at the time, also denies all allegations. "The report claims medication was used to enhance performance; we strongly dispute this," the team said after the report’s release. The team also emphasized its commitment to clean cycling. The infamous 'jiffy bag' case was eventually dropped.
