Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding the use of TUEs (Therapeutic Use Exemptions) by former Team Sky rider Bradley Wiggins, who rode for the British team when he won the Tour de France in 2012.

It was revealed last week that Wiggins had used the corticosteroid triamcinolone which he said were for allergies and respiratory issues on the eve of the 2011 and 2012 Tours de France and the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

The use of the TUEs was revealed when Fancy Bears – a group of Russian hackers – started leaking the medical data of dozens of top athletes recently.

Brailsford spoke to the BBC in Manchester on Monday, where he outlined that he believed that the team had done nothing wrong.

“What we’re talking about here is Bradley having a need, the team doctor supporting that, an expert giving their opinion that this is the medicine that is required, and that then going to the authorities who say ‘we agree with you, and here’s the certificate that gives you the permission to use that medication’,” said Brailsford.

“I’ve got trust in (the TUE) process and the integrity of that process.

“It’s not one person making that decision. It’s not the rider or the team doctor, who is picking the medication. They have to seek permission to use it and they were granted permission.”

Wiggins’ requirement for medication at this time seemingly conflicts with his previous claim that he was in good health and the form of his life before the 2012 Tour, which he stated in his 2012 autobiography ‘My Time’.

Brailsford also went on to state that the use of triamcinolone by Wiggins was not for performance enhancement, but claimed that it was for helping with asthma and his allergies.

“It was not being used to enhance performance. I have known Bradley a long time and he is an asthma sufferer and he has struggled with allergies for as long as I have known him.”

“I know that at the time there was a recommendation to see a specialist, he went to see a specialist and was then given permission by the authorities. I trust and believe in the integrity of that process.”

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