Dr Richard Freeman will not travel to the Road Cycling World Championships, it has been reported ©Getty Images

Richard Freeman, the doctor reportedly involved in a UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) investigation regarding the delivery of a medical package to a rider in 2011, will not travel to the International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships with the British team.

Earlier this week UKAD confirmed they were "investigating an allegation of wrongdoing in cycling", thought to focus on allegations surrounding the package.

According to the Daily Mail, the probe related to the contents of a package British Cycling coach Simon Cope delivered to then Team Sky doctor Freeman, on June 12, 2011.

The date coincided with five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins winning the seven-stage Dauphine Libere road race, a traditional build-up race to the Tour de France.

Wiggins and Team Sky have denied any wrongdoing, with claims their use of substances had been undertaken only to treat legitimate medical conditions.

Team Sky claimed to have asked British Cycling to contact UKAD, with the national governing body stating they were co-operating with the investigation.

Two officials from UKAD reportedly travelled to the Manchester Velodrome, the base of British Cycling, on Friday.

Two officials from UKAD reportedly travelled to the Manchester Velodrome on Friday ©Getty Images
Two officials from UKAD reportedly travelled to the Manchester Velodrome on Friday ©Getty Images

It has been claimed that a joint decision was made between British Cycling and Freeman which means he has not travelled to the World Championships, which have begun today in Qatar's capital Doha.

"This was a decision jointly reached by the team management and Richard," British Cycling said, according to The Guardian.

"The riders in Doha will instead be supported by the UCI medical team at the Worlds, alongside the usual GBCT [Great Britain Cycling Team] support staff."

Andy Harrison, British Cycling’s programmes director, also told the newspaper: "This was a decision taken with the best interests of Richard and the riders at heart.

"We have every confidence that the team will get all the support they need."

Former Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who was sacked in 2014 after being handed a two-year ban for irregularities in his blood passport, claimed earlier this week that he and his British team-mates were offered the painkiller tramadol ahead of the 2012 Road World Championships.

The painkiller, which is not banned but remains on the WADA monitoring list, has been linked with causing crashes in races.

"There was a time where I rode the World Championships and I was offered tramadol," Tiernan-Locke told the BBC.

"I was not in any pain so I did not need to take it, but it was offered freely around."

British Cycling have rejected Tiernan-Locke’s claim.