Richard Freeman: Former British Cycling and Team Sky chief doctor found guilty of ordering banned testosterone

The tribunal will reconvene on Wednesday to decide if Freeman's "fitness to practise is impaired", and then meet again next month to decide if he should lose his licence. Last month, he was also charged by UK Anti-Doping with two violations of rules related to ordering a banned substance and tampering. Freeman is believed to have contested the charges and has requested a UKAD hearing.

In the most damning section of today's 46-page verdict, it stated: "You placed the order and obtained the Testogel when you knew it was clinically indicated for the non-athlete member of staff… knowing or believing it was to be administered to an athlete to improve their athletic performance."

Freeman had continually denied any knowledge that the drug was to be used to dope a rider, saying that it had been intended to treat former British Cycling and Team Sky coach Shane Sutton's issue with erectile dysfunction, an allegation Sutton denied.

The hearing, which has lasted more than two years, has made for uncomfortable headlines for one of Britain's most successful Olympic teams, as well as the dominant force of professional road cycling.

In reaching its conclusion, the tribunal stated: "In May 2011, Dr Freeman, the team doctor for a team of elite cyclists and a member of the anti-doping working group, ordered a doping 'drug of choice' for that sport. Upon its arrival, he was dishonest about why it had been sent, removed it from the velodrome and it was never seen again. The tribunal found that Dr Freeman has been dishonest in its regard ever since.

"Bearing in mind the breadth of Dr Freeman's dishonesty and the number of people he had pulled into it, the tribunal found his conduct incapable of innocent explanation."

Only one of the four charges was not proven, which was that Freeman knew the Testogel in question was "not clinically indicated" for a non-athlete member of staff.

Following the hearing, UKAD chief executive Nicole Sapstead said: ““Following the announcement, UKAD can confirm that Dr Richard Freeman has been charged under the UK Anti-Doping Rules (UK ADR) with two violations - possession of prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods and tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control. While the charges are pending, Dr Freeman is subject to a provisional suspension from all sport.”