S13 Ep96: KM0: Never Go Back? Why Questions From The Past Continue To Haunt Brailsford

This episode of KM0 tackles Dave Brailsford's return to Ineos Grenadiers and the Tour de France, the scene of his greatest sporting triumphs.

Between 2012 and 2019, Team Sky and then Ineos Grenadiers won seven out of eight editions of the Tour. However, there had been controversies along the way – therapeutic use exemptions to permit their key riders to take otherwise prohibited medication, therefore pushing right up to the line in terms of what is allowed by the rules. The jiffy bag incident. Letting riders and staff members go in the wake of the 2012 reasoned decision by the United States Anti-Doping Agency into Lance Armstrong's doping, and their team doctor through the glory years, Richard Freeman, getting struck off by the general medical council for his conduct while working in cycling.

After a spell at Ineos Sport, overseeing Jim Ratcliffe's sporting empire, and an unsuccessful period with Manchester United football club, Brailsford returned to the cycling team on the eve of the Tour de France with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a sweet shop, according to team CEO John Allert.

But since the start in Lille, allegations from Team Sky's past have stalked Brailsford. It concerns their head carer, a Slovenian called David Rozman, who had been involved in the Operation Aderlass doping investigation relating to alleged text messages between him and Dr Mark Schmidt, subsequently jailed for doping offences, shortly before the 2012 Tour.

Brailsford and the team initially said they would not be commenting on the allegations but today (Thursday) they confirmed Rozman had been contacted by the International Testing Agency regarding the alleged texts, initially informally.

Lionel Birnie delves into the background, examines Brailsford's comeback and talks to David Walsh about why he has more questions to answer about what went on in 2012.