Shane Sutton accused of handling Coke can full of urine to beat doping test

Former British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton has been accused of handling a Coke can full of urine by a current British Cycling coach in a bid to avoid a positive drugs test as a rider.

The allegation was put to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing into Dr Richard Freeman via the former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor’s lawyer Mary O’Rourke.

Given permission by the hearing to outline the remainder of the questions she would have put to Sutton had he not stormed out of the tribunal when he previously appeared earlier this month, she alleged that Sutton had been handed a urine-filled coke can by the unnamed coach during the Tour of Ireland.

It was also alleged he had received drugs in the toilet of a McDonalds in Edinburgh back in the 1980s and had confessed to Freeman to taking amphetamines during his riding days.

Sutton did not respond to Standard Sport’s request for a comment but had previously dismissed earlier allegations from O’Rourke of him being “a liar, a doper and a bully” as “laughable”, pointing to the fact he had never once tested positive from an estimated 100 tests during his own riding career.

Sutton stormed out of the hearing after accusing O’Rourke of putting him on trial, and refused to return for subsequent questioning.

On another explosive day at the hearing, she also said she had planned to question Sutton about a lengthy statement from former British cyclist Nicole Cooke and her father, in which the Australian was accused of “bullying, dishonesty and other shady behaviour”.

O’Rourke also raised an allegation from his client that Sutton had used his partner’s phone to call Freeman when the doctor had blocked receiving calls or messages from Sutton’s phone.