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Chris Froome hits back at suggestions wealth secured his acquittal

Chris Froome (Team Sky) speaks to the press at the start of stage 2

Chris Froome (Team Sky) speaks to the press at the start of stage 2 (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

A day after the World Anti-Doping Agency released an extensive rebuttal to Chris Froome's call to release the scientific studies that led to his anti-doping case being closed, the Team Sky rider says he's happy that WADA has given more information, even if he has yet to review it.

"I'm happy that they have released more," said Froome. "I can't say I've read the whole thing. I've understood they've released more data and as I've said from the beginning I'm happy for them to do that."

WADA, in its press release, noted that it had recommended a controlled pharmacokinetic study (CPKS) in Froome's case until it received his defense case and explanations of his salbutamol intake. Other athletes have undergone the CPKS only to lose their cases, like Diego Ulissi did in 2015.

"I can't speak for Diego's case, but I know in my case it stopped at the explanation phase," Froome said. "There are two phases: it goes to the explanation phase and then, after that, if that's not sufficient, then it goes to the pharmaceutical study. Mine stopped before it even went to that phase."

Froome had the financial resources to secure powerful attorneys and scientific experts to throw enough doubt as to whether his excess salbutamol levels could have been achieved while taking the allowed doses to be exonerated. But when asked about UCI president David Lappartient's comments that wealth was a factor in Froome's acquittal, he said: "If an athlete is given a guilty sentence for his lack of funds and support then I think that's an extremely dire situation for sport in general."

When Cyclingnews asked whether Froome had tried to clear the air with Lappartient, or whether the two had ever spoken, the defending Tour de France champion replied that he was currently focusing on the race.

"I met him in Kazakhstan last year," Froome added, "but since he's become president, no [we've not spoken]."