Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) - 2016 Olympic Games men's road race at Fort Copacabana
Silver medallist Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steve Cummings (Dimension Data) takes the win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 'Fancy Bears' hacking group released another round of medical information from the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) databases on Friday, with Fabian Cancellara, Jacob Fuglsang, and Stephen Cummings the latest cyclists to become embroiled in the affair.
Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins were the first cyclists to have their Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) history leaked online, and they were followed by Jack Bobridge, Laura Trott, and Callum Skinner.
Two TUE documents relating to Cancellara were added to the Fancy Bear website on Friday, both seemingly showing backdated permission for steroid-based substances.
The first is for a one-off 120mg dose of methylprednisolone which was injected intravenously in a Swiss hospital three days ahead of the 2011 Vuelta a España.
While the 'effective from' date on the form is given as August 17, the authorisation date is August 22 - two days after the start of the Vuelta, where Cancellara was part of the Leopard Trek team that took victory on the opening stage team time trial. The attached notes explain that Cancellara would undergo the appropriate blood tests in hospital on August 18.
Cancellara’s second TUE document sees him granted authorisation for another one-off dose of methylprednisolone, this time 40mg administered orally. Also on the form is authorisation for prednisolone, a daily 20mg dose of which was allowed for a period of three days.
The TUE took effect on May 18 2013, and was authorised by Zorzoli on May 22.
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A note under the methylprednisolone section reads: "Please confirm the capability of starting the race (Tour of Belgium) planned for 22.05.2013." Cancellara did start the race - his first appearance since clinching the Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix double - and later abandoned on the fifth and final stage.
In a statement released Friday evening, Trek-Segafredo confirmed Cancellara's TUEs, saying they were necessary on both occasions to treat severe allergic reactions to bee stings.
The treatments were administered in respective urgent care centers and not by a team doctor, according to the team's statement.
"Trek-Segafredo and Fabian Cancellara are disappointed with the leaks of Cancellara's medical records from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) database, and the team and Cancellara want to stress that the correct procedures to find and document the treatment with the authorities were followed," the statement read.
The team also released photos that Cancellara posted on social media at the time - showing the rider in separate images with a severely swollen lip and a swollen right eye - adding that both incidents were "covered in the mainstream cycling media" at the time.
Media type: Twitter Media src: https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/779382490318397441 Media caption:
Fuglsang
The Fancy Bears’ files also show one TUE for Jacob Fuglsang, though there is a degree of confusion given that neither dates nor a doctor’s authorisation appear on the form.
Furthermore, the discipline is listed as ‘Mountain Bike’ with the event as ‘UCI World Championships’, despite the document bearing a ‘Rio 2016’ stamp at the top. Most of the other TUE's released by Fancy Bears bear the logo of the UCI or ADAMS - WADA's Anti Doping Administration and Management System.
Fuglsang started his career as a mountain biker, but has spent the past eight years on the road. He did not compete in any mountain bike events at the Rio Olympics this year but did win the silver medal in the men’s road race.
The drug is listed as Triamcinolone Acetonide, the same corticosteroid used under TUE by Bradley Wiggins, with the dosage 40mg and the method of administration ‘intra-articular'.
On Saturday the Astana team revealed the TUE was from 2008, the season during which Dane switched from mountain biking to road racing.
Astana stated that "All the competent authorities were informed and update on the situation, as per International regulations. Jakob Fuglsang is an athlete of the Astana Pro Team since 2013, not having any health problem. With this note, the Team reiterates its confidence in the athlete Jakob Fuglsang."
Cummings's Salbutamol inhaler
Stephen Cummings’ TUE is for the asthma drug Salbutamol and was issued on December 10 2008, when the British rider was at Barloworld. Salbutamol is currently permitted without a TUE up to a certain threshold, but in 2008 it was banned outright, hence Cummings’ TUE for 200 micrograms.
He was granted the inhaler, which included Fluticasone, for a period of 12 months.
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