Dr Richard Freeman Bullied to Order Testosterone Hearing Told

Dr Richard Freeman (second left) pictured with his legal team at the tribunal

Shane Sutton "bullied" Dr Richard Freeman into prescribing testosterone, the ex-British Cycling and Team Sky medic has claimed.

Freeman is facing an allegation he ordered 30 Testogel sachets to British Cycling headquarters in 2011 knowing or believing it was intended for an athlete to enhance performance.

But a medical tribunal heard the testosterone was for former British Cycling technical director Sutton.

Sutton denies the claim.

"Shane Sutton specifically requested that I prescribed him Testogel," said Freeman's witness statement, which was read to the hearing.

"I was bullied into prescribing it for him."

The prosecution opened its case against Dr Freeman on day two of the Independent Medical Practitioners Tribunal in Manchester.

The General Medical Council's lawyer Simon Jackson QC quoted Dr Freeman's claim from his witness statement, written in September, that Dr Freeman's team says is now "the truth".

Mr Jackson said that in Sutton's statement, the Australian claims he did receive treatment and prescriptions from Dr Freeman but that those did not include Testogel and he never discussed this treatment.

Dr Freeman also claimed in his statement that the Testogel was used to treat Sutton's erectile dysfunction.

Mr Jackson said Sutton denies this and the GMC's case is that it was instead used for "micro-dosing" as a way of improving an athlete's performance.

The prosecution said Sutton, who is scheduled to appear as a witness on Monday and Tuesday, will also produce British Cycling medical records to prove he did not require testosterone.

The hearing continues.

FROM  bbc.com/sport/cycling