Chris Froome reportedly refuses to give his backing to Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford
Team Sky's star rider also not one of the many riders to tweet their support for Brailsford
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Team Sky's attempt to present a unified front in the face of growing controversy was dealt a blow on Tuesday as star rider Chris Froome reportedly declined to sign a joint statement supporting team manager Dave Brailsford.
On Monday night, a number of Team Sky riders - not including Froome - took to Twitter to give their support to Brailsford, with the team planning to put out a joint statement of support on Tuesday.
>>> Geraint Thomas 'frustrated' and 'annoyed' by Team Sky press coverage
However, according to the Telegraph and other media outlets, Froome declined to sign the statement (which was then shelved), choosing instead to take to Instagram to share a photo of himself and his son with a giraffe in South Africa.
Froome's silence comes as his team continues to fight back in the controversy surrounding the mystery package delivered to the team at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné and the use of therapeutic use exemptions before major races.
Although there was not statement from the riders on Tuesday, there was a lengthy document issued by the team itself, attacking "inaccurate" and "simply untrue" assumptions made over the past few months.
>>> What next for Chris Froome with Team Sky' credibibility 'in tatters'?
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As for Froome, he last spoke at length about the issue in January, when he sought to distance himself from Brailsford and the team, asking people to judge him on his values, rather than what was going on around Team Sky.
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Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
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