Richard Freeman appeal has been adjourned with no further hearing currently set
The former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor was banned from practicing after being found guilty of ordering banned substances
Richard Freeman's appeal hearing against the decision to permanently strike him off the medical register has been adjourned with no further hearing date currently set. The appeal hearing was originally set to begin this month.
Freeman was found guilty in March of this year of ordering a banned testosterone drug for an unknown rider while working as the doctor for Team Sky (now Ineos Grenadiers) and British Cycling.
An appeal was lodged to clear his name and to have him placed back onto the medical register in April 2021, with that appeal now adjourned.
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When a case is adjourned in court it means that the case still exists within the court but is no longer active.
Graham Small, partner at JMW Solicitors which is representing Freeman, said: "The written transcript of the disciplinary simply did not convey the overt hostility displayed towards our client. It’s unusual for a High Court Judge to adjourn an appeal, but in this case it’s necessary."
JMW Solicitors LLP made a request for an audio recording of the first disciplinary hearing to be heard by the judge just before the appeal happened but the General Medical Council objected to this application, thus delaying the process.
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The appeal meant that UK Anti-Doping's (UKAD) case against Freeman had to be paused and will continue after the appeal has been heard by the High Court.
Freeman had already admitted to 18 of the 22 charges that were against him, such as purchasing the banned Testogel as well as lying to the UKAD, with the case now dragging out for over two years since February of 2019.
It was deemed that Freeman had ordered the drug "knowing or believing" that it would be used by a rider who has remained un-named.
This saw UKAD provisionally suspend Freeman and charge him with two violations: 'Possession of Prohibited Substances and/or Prohibited Methods and Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any part of Doping Control'.
The date for when the appeal will be heard by the judge is currently not known.
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Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
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