(London) The ex-doctor of the British Cycling Federation and the Sky team received a four-year suspension for violating anti-doping rules.

Richard Freeman was imposed this sanction by an independent tribunal of the national anti-doping agency (UKAD) for possession of prohibited substances and two charges of tampering.

UKAD said Freeman’s suspension was retroactive to December 22, 2020, the date of Freeman’s provisional suspension, and that he cannot be associated with any sporting events until December 21, 2024.

Freeman was a key figure in the successes of British Cycling and Sky between 2010 and 2017, working closely with Bradley Wiggins when he won the 2012 Tour de France and the London Olympics time trial the same year. He was the British team’s chief doctor at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

The doping tribunal was convinced that Freeman wanted to make a banned substance available when he ordered 30 sachets of Testogel, which contains testosterone, in May 2011. Freeman also admitted to lying to UKAD investigators on several points in the case.