Sir Bradley Wiggins jokes about 2011 Dauphiné package controversy on Instagram

Sir Bradley Wiggins has made light of the controversy surrounding the infamous package delivered to the 2011 Criterium du Dauphiné – the contents of which were discussed at great length by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee yesterday. Wiggins on Sunday published an image of his face, photoshopped in Braveheart war paint, together with the words “They can never take my package!!”

The Instagram post references the Braveheart film in which Mel Gibson, playing William Wallace, famously rallies his troops by shouting: 'They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom'.

It also featured the accompanying text: “Merry Christmas people #dicko #loveya #onelove”

 

Merry Christmas people #dicko #loveya #onelove

A photo posted by Sir Wiggo (@bradwiggins) on Dec 18, 2016 at 11:21am PST

It was posted on Sunday night during the lead up to the announcement of the Sports Personality of the Year. Wiggins didn’t make the shortlist – almost certainly because of the furore surrounding his use of TUEs, plus the mystery surrounding the package delivered to Team Sky at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné.

The package featured prominently during yesterday’s appearances before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the evidence given arguably resulted in more questions than answers.

After British Cycling president Bob Howden and Dr George Gilbert, a member of the governing body's board and chair of its Ethics Commission, repeatedly told MPs they were unable to answer questions about the package because it was the subject of an ongoing UK Anti-doping (UKAD) investigation, Sir Dave Brailsford later claimed that it contained the decongestant Fluimucil.

An investigation conducted by UK Anti-Doping is due to report on the matter shortly.

Some may take issue with Wiggins apparently treating the issue as a laughing matter. It could be argued that regardless of what was actually in the package, the incident is symbolic of both a lack of transparency at British Cycling and Team Sky, and also the attitude of the two organisations to how that lack of transparency is perceived by the wider world.

The obvious Scottish angle of Wiggins’ post could also have been a reference to Sports Personality of the Year favourite and eventual winner, Andy Murray.

Asked if he had followed the debate over Team Sky and their use of TUEs earlier in the year, Murray said: “I’ve seen quite a lot of it. I don’t think every TUE is bad, but there are TUEs that are abused, for sure. And I do think that now is the time when all TUEs should be transparent.

“Everyone should know, if an athlete is given a TUE, what it is they’re taking and the reasons for it. And also the medical reasons behind it because we don’t always find that out. Maybe that isn’t perfect and a lot of people like to keep their medical records confidential. But when things like this happen, it could clear a lot of things up.”