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Dr Richard Freeman to face testosterone questions at tribunal

Dr Richard Freeman, where he posed for pictures after appearing at a hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in Manchester to determine his fitness to practise medicine.
Image: Dr Richard Freeman has admitted 18 of 22 charges against him

Dr Richard Freeman is set to be questioned about rider testosterone levels at his fitness-to-practice tribunal and also about a Tour de France winner, it emerged on Monday.

The tribunal in Manchester also heard the former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor had earlier in the day attempted to walk off with a laptop he had been granted access to by the national governing body.

Dr Freeman is accused of ordering testosterone to British Cycling headquarters in 2011 knowing or believing it was to be given to a rider to enhance performance, something he denies. He has admitted 18 of 22 charges against him, including ordering the testosterone and lying about it.

On Monday afternoon his QC Mary O'Rourke said the General Medical Council's QC Simon Jackson wanted to ask Dr Freeman about a suggestion a rider had "some sort of testosterone top-up".

And she indicated as well that there would be questions to come about "a Tour de France winner".

After Dr Freeman had asked for access to a laptop belonging to him which was in the hands of British Cycling, it was brought to the tribunal on Monday.

Dr Freeman said that at the lunch break he and three other people had been having trouble turning the laptop on, and O'Rourke said there had been "an incident...where he tried to put the laptop in his own bag and walk away with it."

O'Rourke said Dr Freeman's lawyer Simon Eastwood had had to intervene, that Eastwood had suggested Dr Freeman should not give any more evidence that day, and she added: "I am worried about him".

Dr Freeman then said he had put the laptop not in his own bag but "in the case it came in" because he was frustrated and was "going to take it away and charge it myself".

The hearing continues on Tuesday.

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