Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome was placed under investigation by cycling authorities on Wednesday morning after a doping control showed abnormally high levels of an asthma drug at the Vuelta a Espana in September.
.. “It is well known that I have asthma and I know exactly what the rules are,” Froome said. “I use an inhaler to manage my symptoms (always within the permissible limits) and I know for sure that I will be tested every day I wear the race leader’s jersey.”
.. Salbutamol use is permitted by Union Cycliste Internationale rules in concentrations up to 1000 nanograms per millileter, but Froome’s sample showed twice the allowable dose.
“My asthma got worse at the Vuelta so I followed the team doctor’s advice to increase my Salbutamol dosage,” Froome said. “As always, I took the greatest care to ensure that I did not use more than the permissible dose.