Sporting Director Leaves Team Sky
Team Sky sporting director Sean Yates has announced he will step down from his role and retire from cycling after three decades in the sport.
According to media reports, the timing of Yates’s retirement has fuelled speculation surrounding Team Sky’s decision last week to ask staff members to sign a statement guaranteeing that they had no previous involvement in drugs, however Sky has insisted that Yates’ decision was not related to doping.
Yates’s announcement follows the departure of Team Sky coach Bobby Julich, who admitting using EPO earlier his cycling career. However Yates has denied any association with drugs saying: ‘I realise the timing of my retirement will lead to speculation but I can walk away with my head held high knowing I have done nothing wrong.’
A statement from Team Sky said: ‘After Team Sky reaffirmed its position on anti-doping, the management team started a series of individual interviews with riders, management, and support staff. Sean has been interviewed and there were no admissions or disclosures that would have required him to leave the team.’
Team Sky’s decision to interview staff comes after the UCI stripped Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles following the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s report which alleged that Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs throughout his career.
