'TeamSly': British Cycling Superstar Wiggins in Doping Brawl Angers Fans Online

© AP Photo / Fabio FerrariIn this Tuesday, May 14, 2013 file photo Britain's Bradley Wiggins, second from right, pedals during the the 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cordenons to Altopiano del Montasio.
In this Tuesday, May 14, 2013 file photo Britain's Bradley Wiggins, second from right, pedals during the the 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cordenons to Altopiano del Montasio. - Sputnik International
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Revelation by a scathing UK parliamentary report the winner of Tour de France 2012 Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky riders took performance-enhancing drugs has left online users feeling "deeply disappointed" and "let down."

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee report on 'Combatting doping in sport' published on Monday, March 5 concluded a powerful corticosteroid, triamcinolone, was being used "to prepare Bradley Wiggins, and possibly other riders supporting him, for the Tour de France.

"The purpose of this was not to treat medical need, but to improve his power to weight ratio ahead of the race."

The long-awaited inquiry has relied on detailed oral and written evidence, academic research, investigative journalism, and whistleblowers.

A mysterious package was delivered to Wiggins at the June 2011 Criterium du Dauphine race but the British parliamentary committee found no "reliable evidence" to support Sky's assertion that it was a legal decongestant.

In response, Team Sky — a British professional cycling team — issued a statement to "strongly refute" the claim.

"The Report also makes the serious claim that medication has been used by the Team to enhance performance. We strongly refute this. The report also includes an allegation of widespread Triamcinolone use by Team Sky riders ahead of the 2012 Tour de France. Again, we strongly refute this allegation. We are surprised and disappointed that the Committee has chosen to present an anonymous and potentially malicious claim in this way, without presenting any evidence or giving us an opportunity to respond. This is unfair both to the Team and to the riders in question."

Wiggins has also refuted the claims on his Twitter account: 

Cycling fans, sport lovers and other social media users reacted to the news, with some branding the British team #TeamSly.

Others called the report baseless and inconclusive. 

Due to suffering from asthma, Sir Bradley Wiggins had been granted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the banned anti-inflammatory ahead of the 2012 Tour.

The report has called for legislation to criminalize the supply of drugs to sports people with intent to enhance performance and stressed that UK Anti-Doping organization requires greater powers and resources to conduct investigations and enforce the rules.

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