“Maybe it was a dildo for Dave Brailsford” –Bradley Wiggins speculates on Jiffy Bag contents and claims "it was all set up to destroy me"

perfect1964 wrote:

Only an elite sportsman would figure that their reputation is tarnished by a mysterious Jiffy bag and not the use of a performance enhancing corticosteroid under a TUE for an ailment which in ordinary circumstances it would never be prescribed for. 

Note: bold text added by me.

A long post, sorry, but one close to my heart (or nose) because I have symptoms remarkably similar to those described by Bradley Wiggins in 2016 (e.g. quoted in this Guardian article). 

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Wiggins told the Guardian that he began suffering from asthma at races at the age of 15, and that he first noticed the effects of pollen allergies during the 2003 Giro d’Italia, his first major stage race. He described, “a noticeable difference to performance … When I had a severe attack, the day after I was wiped out.” Asked to describe his symptoms, he stated: “Uncontrollable sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, the urge to rub my eyes constantly, and in doing that the eyes becoming bloodshot … extreme. My breathing became restricted, like breathing through a straw at times.”

He added that he had kept the condition under control using over the counter medicines: “Continual medication … two Clarityns per day, one in the morning, one at night, nasal sprays, inhalers – two in the morning, two at night, eye drops as and when. I was on the maximum for over the counter products.” He described a mountain stage in the 2010 Tour de France, where he finished 23rd while “sneezing my head off, blowing snot out of my nose, unable to breathe”.
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Like Wiggins, mine started suddenly one day. I was sitting at my desk at work in the early '90s and inside of my nose suddenly lit up. It began to itch unbearably and it began to pour. Literally, dripdripdripdripdripdripdripdripdripdrip. I had no idea what was happening, I had never had anything like it before, and I remember going home on the tube with paper tissue up my nose!

My condition has never been diagnosed beyond the fairly broad Perennial Alergic Rhinitis (year-round inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose caused by allergens). I also have asthma, which is fairly mild but is linked to and/or triggered by bouts of rhinitis. For the vast majority of the time I have it all completely under control, so if I were to describe this condition in a TV interview after winning a stage of the Tour de France, the viewer might wonder what all the fuss is about. Indeed, they might wonder why I need medicine at all.

Talking of which, here's my poison:

- Ceterizine Hydrochloride, a.k.a. Zirtek, 1 tab/day (Over-the-counter hayfever/allergy drug. I take this necessary, sometimes I go days without it, sometimes I double dose as Wiggins describes).
- Beclomethasone inhaler, 2 puffs morning and evening (the brown one. A prescription asthma drug, known as a "preventer", stops the symtoms of asthma before they exhibit. During a good spell, I sometimes skip this, although my GP says I shouldn't).
- Salbutamol inhaler,  2 puffs morning and evening (the blue one. A prescription asthma drug, known as a "reliever", reduces the symptoms after they have exhibited. I usually only take 1 puff, and frequently skip altogether if the "preventer" is doing its job).
- Optrex eye drops. When it is bad, my eyes go berserk. I find the Optrex with Witch Hazel to be the best topical treatment. 

This is what the Daily Mail would call a "cocktail of drugs".  

As it happens, these meds are very normal, if you suffer from any symptoms like mine. If you don't, then you might find them to be mysterious. If I had a race number on my back, you might be downright suspicious. It might be worth mentioning that I always carry salbutamol when riding, but I usually don't need it. A cold morning will often tighten my chest up in the first couple of miles, and a single puff will sort me out.

Occasionally the whole thing goes pear-shaped (Wiggo's description of an attack is bang on) and I simply go and lie down. There's nothing else for it. Sometimes I know it is coming: a trip to warmer climes (e.g. almost every time I visit family in southern Europe) can kick it off, usually on the 2nd day, and I spend a half of that day in bed. Other times it just happens out of the blue. Happily these severe attacks are very infrequent.

I wonder if triamcinolone would help.

Which I suppose is my point, and back we go to your quote:

"use of a performance enhancing corticosteroid under a TUE for an ailment which in ordinary circumstances it would never be prescribed"​

I'm wondering if you know what triamcinolone is for! It is for the "suppression of inflammatory and allergic disorders", that's all.

It is an just an allergy drug (albeit a powerful one), so, if you have severe reaction to allergens, a prescription of triamcinolone might be a very ordinary circumstance indeed. For example, if I was suffering regular attacks in the UK then my ability to do my job would be impaired (I am customer-facing, so my meetings would be adversely affected where I to have bog roll stuffed up my dripping nose). Triamcinolone might be the answer for me. In these circumstances it, or a drug like it, would be a godsend.

I think that Brad's problems arise from a complete lack of transparency in the TUE process as executed by Team Sky (with fingers pointed at the UCI, the teams, the riders). Things would be improved if teams were be obliged under the rules to report that they have applied for a TUE on behalf of rider A on date B to treat condition C, with a follow-up to state whether the application has been granted or denied and, if the former, that the medicine had been administetred on date D.

The discussion then becomes one about the rules, whether or not they are appropriate (they aren't), and whether or not they need to be changed (they do). If the rules were appropriate, then the teams would (and should!) be able to exploit them to the max without crossing ethical lines. If the rules were appropriate, then the sanctions for infringements could be severe.

A set of rules that permits unethical behavoiur is not fit for purpose.