Shane Sutton has been given a "hefty payout by British Cycling after resigning as technical director, but the severance deal prohibits the Australian from working for any Olympic rivals until after the Rio Games in August," according to Ziegler & Rudd of the LONDON TIMES. The terms of the package, "thought to be in the low six-figures, were agreed before British Cycling learnt that the 58-year-old had continued to be paid by Team Sky without the governing body’s knowledge." That development "will not alter the payout." He resigned "after being accused of making sexist remarks and derogatory comments about disabled cyclists, although he denies the allegations." There was "concern among overseas cycling federations that Australia might be the main beneficiary of the crisis engulfing British Cycling, but Sutton is intending to remain loyal to his former riders and has no intention of betraying them." Australian Institute of Sport Dir Matt Favier said that there "could be a future role for Sutton with Cycling Australia after the Games." Favier said, "It’s really for Cycling Australia to say, they have a very clear strategy, but there might be a role for him" (LONDON TIMES, 4/30).
UNDER REVEIW: REUTERS' Ian Chadband reported British Rowing Chair Annamarie Phelps will head the independent review into the "extremely disturbing" claims that have "rocked British cycling." Phelps will now appoint a review panel that will be asked to examine whether there are "fundamental behavioral issues" at the heart of British cycling's "once-unrivalled sports program." A joint statement from UK Sport and British Cycling said that the review would start "imminently" and end after the Olympic and Paralympic Games "to minimize the disruption to British Cycling's final preparations for Rio, while allowing athletes and support personnel to play a full role in the review." The statement said that the scope of the review "must include, but is not limited to, all forms of discrimination and bullying: but would not include British cycling's investigation into Sutton's alleged misconduct (REUTERS, 4/29).
SWEETENHAM SPEAKS OUT: The BBC reported former British Swimming Performance Dir Bill Sweetenham said that Sutton should have got a "slap on the wrist" if necessary but should have stayed on at British Cycling. Sweetenham said, "There will be times you push the boundaries a bit too hard. Perhaps this is one of those moments for Shane, I'm just speaking from a coaching point of view. If he's done something that is inappropriate but is not going to ruin GB's chances, slap him on the wrist if necessary but keep him in to get the job done" (BBC, 5/1).
YATES NOT SUSPENDED: REUTERS's Ransom & Chadband reported the Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) said that British cyclist Simon Yates, a "strong contender to make Britain's Olympic cycling team, will not be provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test." His team Orica-GreenEDGE said that Yates, one of the "brightest prospects" in British cycling, failed the test due to an "administrative error" over the use of an asthma inhaler. The UCI said in a statement that Yates had not been suspended because "such a substance does not entail imposition of a provisional suspension" (REUTERS, 4/30).
