dr Richard Freeman’s appeal to the High Court fails and he now faces a UK anti-doping inquiry

Richard Freeman, the former British cycling and Team Sky doctor who was sacked for ordering banned testosterone patches, is now facing a UK anti-doping inquiry after his High Court appeal failed.

In a devastating ruling for Freeman, his former employers and cycling in that country, a judge found there was “nothing wrong” with a 2021 court that struck the disgraced medic off the medical record and ruled that his ability to practice was hampered due to limitations related to his conduct while working at the Manchester Velodrome, known as the Gold Medal Factory.

The tribunal, which sent shockwaves through the cycling world, had found that Freeman – key to the 2012 and 2016 Olympics successes – had ordered the drug “knowing or believing” it was intended for an athlete to improve its performance. UK Anti-Doping then swiftly charged him with two alleged violations – Possession of Prohibited Substances and/or Prohibited Methods and Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control.

Richard Freeman, former British cycling and Team Sky doctor, is now facing a UK anti-doping inquiry after his appeal to the High Court failed after he was struck from the medical register for using banned testosterone patches for ordered an athlete

Freeman (centre left – pictured with his defense team in court in 2019) faces a ban of at least four years and a possible life ban from working in the sport

The paramedic, who also worked for Bolton Wanderers, has been provisionally suspended from all sport, although the case has been stayed by UKAD pending appeal.

After the appeal was summarily dismissed this morning, the investigation is now being restarted, with Freeman facing a ban of at least four years. He could potentially be banned from working in the sport for life.

The long-running Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service case, which at times bordered on the absurd, saw the reputations of Team Sky (now Team Ineos) and British Cycling dragged through the gutter, raising serious questions about their glittering era of success. These questions are now being asked again after the failure of the appeal.

Freeman had admitted to ordering 30 sachets of Testogel from Velodrome headquarters in May 2011 and accepted that he had lied in a botched attempt to cover his tracks. His actions included lying to UKAD.

However, Freeman had denied that he had ordered the substance from an Oldham-based supplier, “knowing or believing” it was to be given to an unnamed driver to improve its performance.

Freeman was key to British cycling’s triumphs at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics

Freeman claimed he ordered Testogel sachets for trainer Shane Sutton’s “erectile dysfunction,” which Sutton (pictured) vehemently denied

Instead, he said it was ordered on behalf of ex-coach Shane Sutton over erectile dysfunction, claims the Australian angrily denied in a cursory exchange.

That defense was dismantled by the General Medical Council, resulting in a stunning verdict that has now been underscored. Freeman appealed, but in a 38-page judgment issued by the Manchester branch of the High Court, Judge Fordham found that “there was nothing about the approach of the tribunal … which was ‘wrong'”. He added: “Even less respect that would undermine the overall conclusion as ‘false’; nor any finding or finding “unjustified by reason of a serious procedural error or other irregularity in the proceedings”.

Freeman was also ordered to pay £23,000 in costs.

The paramedic’s representatives released a brief statement after the reading. It said: “JMW Solicitors is disappointed by the High Court’s ruling which has allowed Dr. Richard Freeman has been challenged against the decision of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service to have his name removed from the Medical Register.”