Brailsford not 'well placed to be advising others sports' following 'failures' at British Cycling and Team Sky, says MP

MP Damian Collins has said he questions whether Sir Dave Brailsford is "well placed to be advising other sports," following "failures" during his time at British Cycling and Team Sky, BBC Sport reports.

The comments come following reports that Brailsford, who is now director of sport at Ineos, is being considered for a role in the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) high-performance team.

Brailsford, whose 'marginal gains' approach become famous during his time as performance director at British Cycling, could be enlisted to help turn around England's cricket team, following a 4-0 loss in their recent Ashes series in Australia.

However, Collins - who chaired a 2018 inquiry carried out by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport inquiry into 'Combatting Doping in Sport' - said that the findings raised questions over Brailsford's suitability. 

The select committee inquiry was published in 2018, following a UK Anti Doping (UKad) investigation in 2017, which investigated a mysterious Jiffy bag which was delivered from British Cycling, to Team Sky, at the end of the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné. 

No doping charges were brought against Team Sky or British Cycling following the UKad investigation, but the subsequent select committee report concluded that Team Sky had "crossed an ethical line". 

The 54-page report criticised "poor record keeping and poor medicines policies" within British Cycling and Team Sky. 

In December 2016, Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford said that the package had contained the decongestant Fluimucil, having been told that this was the case by British Cycling doctor at the time, Richard Freeman. However ex-cycling doctor Freeman did not have medical records to prove this. 

In 2021, Freeman was found guilty of ordering testosterone "knowing or believing" it was for the performance enhancement of an unnamed rider. 

Discussing the select committee's inquiry, Collins told BBC Sport: "We took evidence on governance failures relating to the performance programmes at British Cycling and Team Sky.

"In our report we concluded, 'How can David Brailsford ensure that his team is performing to his requirements, if he does not know and cannot tell, what drugs the doctors are giving the riders? David Brailsford must take responsibility for these failures.' 

"Whilst I'm sure David Brailsford has learnt from past mistakes in cycling, I'd question whether this makes him well placed to be advising other sports."

Ineos Grenadiers declined to comment on the statements made by Collins, when asked by Cycling Weekly. Cycling Weekly has contacted British Cycling for a comment in response to Collins' statements, and will add these to this article should the organisation respond.