Freeman tribunal risks being delayed until next year
(Cyclingnews.com)

The medical tribunal that will assess Dr. Richard Freeman´s fitness to practise could be delayed for several months or even until next year. The General Medical Council hearing of the former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor was due to begin last week but was adjourned at the request of his legal team. The GMC tribunal is due to examine a number of allegations against Dr. Freeman, including that he ordered the banned substance testosterone in 2011 to administer to a rider. Freeman did not appear at the tribunal in Manchester last week. The tribunal has resumed this week in private legal argument, but the start of the tribunal proper has been delayed by at least eight days. The BBC and other British media reported that the hearing could ultimately be delayed by several months or even until next year, citing sources from the GMC and the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, who believe that the case would not be completed within the four weeks it has been allocated.ADVERTISEMENT The possible timetable for a resumption hearing is complicated by the fact that Freeman´s high-profile barrister, Mary O`Rourke QC, is reported to have a number of other cases scheduled in the coming months. The delay in proceedings could also prevent UK Anti-Doping from investigating any new evidence uncovered during the hearing relating to the package of 30 sachets of testosterone gel delivered to Team and British Cycling HQ in Manchester in June 2011. At the time, WADA´s statute of limitations for anti-doping cases was eight years, meaning that the hearing might now take place outside of that timeframe. Delaying tactics You can read more at Cyclingnews.com