Chris Froome has insisted he has not broken any rules, despite returning an “adverse” drugs test at the Vuelta a Espana.
The 32-year-old was found to have twice the allowed level of Salbutamol – a legal asthma drug – in his urine during the big race in September.
The UCI have asked Team Sky to provide more details about Froome’s inhaler use at the Vuelta before taking any other further action.
But the British star said: “I certainly haven’t broken any rules here. I have been a professional cyclist now, treating my symptoms and racing with asthma, for 10 years.
“I know what those rules are, I know what those limits are and I have never been over those limits.
“I have got a very clear routine when I use my inhaler and how many times. I have given all that information to the UCI to help get to the bottom of it,” he added during an interview with the BBC.
Salbutamol is a permitted drug on the World Tour, but only in certain restricted dosages.
Thank you for all the messages of support this morning. I am confident that we will get to the bottom of this. Unfortunately I can’t share any more information than I already have until the enquiry is complete.
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) December 13, 2017
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s regulations state that a reading of 1,000 nanograms per millilitre is acceptable, while Froome’s result returned a reading of at least 2,000ng/ml.
Froome says he took a Team Sky doctor’s advice before increasing his inhaler use during the Vuelta after his asthma symptoms got worse in Spain. He eventually won the race to add to his Tour de France title in July.
A Team Sky statement after the adverse test was made public said: “The notification of the test finding does not mean that any rule has been broken. The finding triggers requests from the UCI which are aimed at establishing what caused the elevated concentration of Salbutamol and to ensure that no more than the permissible doses of Salbutamol were inhaled.
“There is considerable evidence to show that there are significant and unpredictable variations in the way Salbutamol is metabolised and excreted. As a result, the use of permissible dosages of Salbutamol can sometimes result in elevated urinary concentrations, which require explanation.
“A wide range of factors can affect the concentrations, including the interaction of Salbutamol with food or other medications, dehydration and the timing of Salbutamol usage before the test.”