Wednesday 7 March 2018 16:33, UK
Getting rid of TUEs is not the solution to deal with doping despite the fall-out over Bradley Wiggins and his use of medication, according to Michele Verroken.
A report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, claimed Team Sky "crossed the ethical line" by using drugs to allegedly enhance the performance of Wiggins before major races including his 2012 Tour de France victory.
The 37-year-old asthma sufferer used Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) to take the corticosteroid Triamcinolone with Team Sky strongly denying the Londoner used the drug to boost his performance.
Verroken, anti-doping consultant and former UK Sport anti-doping director, told Sky Sports News: "I don't think abolishing the TUE system is going to be the answer.
"Improving it, amending it, separating it so we are exercising duty of care rather than, if you like, judging the athletes against the prohibited list and against the anti-doping rules.
"We have to look at the damage that can happen through the sport to these athletes and also how we encourage people with medical conditions to continue to participate in sport.
"Certainly what is of concern is when you look at it the anti-doping rules could apply and they can apply right down to the recreational level.
"This could be very dissuasive of people wanting to stay in sport and that's where we do have to strike the right balance but just getting rid of the TUE system is not the answer."
Former Team Sky and British Cycling coach Shane Sutton urged Wiggins and former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman to give a full explanation of how they used anti-asthma drugs during his career.
However, Chris Froome has backed the Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford while dismissing claims he was among those treated with corticosteroids in the build-up to the 2012 Tour de France as "absolute rubbish".
