British Cycling coach at centre of Team Sky mystery package scandal to be quizzed by MPs
Simon Cope travelled from Manchester to France to hand deliver the package
Simon Cope, the British Cycling coach who delivered the infamous Jiffy bag to Team Sky at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, will give evidence to a parliamentary committee investigating doping in sport next month.
Cope will appear in front of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee on February 22, with the doctor who received the package at the Team Sky bus, Dr Richard Freeman, and the chief executive of UK Anti Doping (UKAD), Nicole Sapstead, also appearing on the same date.
The committee has previously heard evidence from a number of figures within British Cycling, with former BC performance director and current Team Sky general manager Dave Brailsford saying that a mystery package delivered to Sky at the Dauphiné contained Fluimucil, a common decongestant, for star rider Bradley Wiggins.
However it seems that British Cycling has been unable to supply records to a UKAD investigation to prove that the package did indeed contain Fluimucil, with Damian Collins MP, the chair of the committee, saying that there are still a number of questions that need to be answered.
Watch: Dave Brailsford gives evidence to the DCMS select committee
Collins said that he hoped that the evidence that his committee will hear on February 22 will provide answers to those questions.
"The Committee has been told by both British Cycling and Team Sky that they have supplied all the information they have relating to this investigation to UKAD. However, we need to know if they have received documentary evidence which confirms what was in the package that was delivered by Simon Cope to Team Sky.
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"Without this evidence, I am concerned about how it is possible for the anti-doping rules to be policed in an appropriate manner, if it is not possible to review the records of medicines prescribed to riders by the team doctors."
The committee has also recently heard evidence from former world champion Nicole Cooke, who gave damning evidence about sexism in cycling and poor anti-doping procedures.
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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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