Froome, Hoy question Wiggins's TUE use

Tour de France champion Chris Froome and Sir Chris Hoy have joined calls for an explanation into Sir Bradley Wiggins seeking permission to use triamcinolone.

Chris Froome has also been the subject of the TUE discussion. Source: Getty

Chris Froome says questions remain over Team Sky and Sir Bradley Wiggins seeking permission to use triamcinolone, and Sir Chris Hoy has joined calls for an explanation.

Wiggins in 2012 became the first British Tour de France winner and Froome has since inherited the Team Sky leadership and won the Maillot Jaune three times, in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Froome's two TUEs were published on the same day by hackers Fancy Bears, although already well known. But Froome was unaware of his former team-mate's TUEs.

"I was surprised, it was the first that I had heard of them," he told Cyclingnews.

"I had seen Bradley Wiggins using his inhalers so I knew he had asthma, but I wasn't aware of his allergies.

"Without knowing the exact details of his medical condition, it's impossible to say if he was operating in a grey area.

"Questions remain over his symptoms, the choice of treatment and the related performance benefits from that treatment."

Froome finished second to Wiggins in 2012 and won the 100th Tour in 2013, the first since Lance Armstrong's public doping confession.

"It's a great shame for the sport that we're once again debating the validity of a Tour de France victory," Froome added.

Wiggins in August won his fifth Olympic gold and eighth medal in all, surpassing Hoy as the Briton with the most Olympic medals.

And six-time Olympic champion Hoy says Wiggins must answer his doubters over his TUEs.

"I think he has to answer questions, otherwise there will always be a question mark hanging over him," Hoy told the BBC.

"It's not been a great few weeks for Team Sky and for Bradley, in particular.

"I think it is up to Bradley, he needs to clear his name, I'm sure, and explain what the situation was."