Abu Dhabi Tour organisers slam Wiggins withdrawal

Sport360 staff 12:21 14/10/2016
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  • Wiggins pulled out from the Tour on Thursday, though his camp claimed the race was never part of his calendar.

    That has been disputed by Abu Dhabi Tour organisers, who have expressed “surprise” over those media reports after centring much of their promotional campaign around Wiggins’ presence.

    “Before the first announcement [20 September] we received the approval from Team Wiggins to communicate the presence of Bradley Wiggins at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Tour,” an official statement from organisers said.

    “Last week the Official Enrolment Form was submitted by a Team Wiggins official to RCS Sport with the name of the rider Bradley Wiggins included in the provisional entry list.

    “In addition, as is usual practise for a major race, flights and accommodation have been booked in the name of Bradley Wiggins and those accompanying him.

    “The race organisers are surprised and disappointed to see different stories in the media regarding Bradley Wiggins and the Abu Dhabi Tour.

    “It is important to clarify that the long-standing expectation has been that Sir Bradley will be riding the 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour, and that all operations by the race owner, race organiser and its representatives and agents have been based on that expectation in good faith.”

    Wiggins is currently being investigated by the UK Anti-Doping Agency over allegations made by Simon Cope that in 2011 a mysterious medical package was delivered to Team Sky.

    Cope, then a British Cycling coach and now manager of Wiggins’ road team that will compete in Abu Dhabi, said he “did not have a clue” what was in the bags, raising questions over its contents.

    The 36-year-old Wiggins has been under the microscope since his Therapeutic Use Exemptions list was leaked to the public by hackers Fancy Bears, showing he had taken corticosteroid in the lead up to his historic 2012 Tour de France win.

    It has seen Wiggins and Team Sky face enormous pressure from the cycling and ant-doping communities, though both parties have denied any wrongdoing.

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