Chris Froome says he is 'proud' to be part of Team Sky despite damning doping report

Cycling champion Chris Froome has backed Team Sky and boss Dave Brailsford following a devastating parliamentary report into the use of performance enhancing medication.

A two-year investigation found Team Sky had given riders medication to enhance their performance, within the rules but not within the spirit of the sport.

Tour de France champion Froome is not at the centre of the latest drugs scandal to hit sport but he has thrown his weight behind the team.

"I've been a part of the team since the very beginning, eight years and I've never seen anything like that. It's not my experience," he told ITV News in Tuscany.

The 52-page report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee accused Team Sky, Sir Dave Brailsford and Wiggins of "crossing an ethical line" by asking for therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for banned medication they did not really need.

One witness said Sir Bradley Wiggins was among those using the drugs in the season he won the Tour De France in 2012.

Now retired, he denies the claims but there are calls for those at the top of Team Sky to go.

Team Sky's owners are backing Sir David Brailsford. Credit: PA

Asked whether team boss Sir David Brailsford should resign, Froome said: "No, I mean, I am really proud to be part of this team.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn’t believe in the people around me."

In the meantime many medical records of Team Sky's riders have gone missing, something that has been put down to a "shambolic" system.

But Fabio Bartalucci, a former Team Sky doctor, claimed the cycling outfit was "really careful" about recording and tracking medical notes.

"There was a lot of information in between passing by on the internet," Dr Bartalucci told ITV News.

"There were medical notes. I never checked where they went but I did medical notes like every other doctor.

"Team Sky was really careful about everything."

Fabio Bartalucci said Team Sky was 'very careful' keeping its records.

Former Team Sky cyclist John-Lee Augustyn told ITV News he was "surprised and disappointed" at the allegations.

Augustyn, who was part of the inaugural squad in 2010 to 2011, called on the team's under-fire boss Sir Dave Brailsford to explain all.

The retired South African said: "I wouldn't necessarily say [Brailsford] has to resign, they just need to come out a bit more clear than what they've been saying.

"I just think it’s better to come out clean and just say listen, we did wrong and that's it or we didn’t do anything wrong, rather than being murky, it’s better to come out clean. At the end of the day it’s going to come out anyway."

He added: "I was very disappointed to see the article and very surprised, I wasn’t aware of anything. I clearly hope that Team Sky comes out clean and gets everything resolved, it's not very good for the sport obviously."

Team Sky released a statement strongly refuting the report's allegations and the owners of the team are also understood to be backing Brailsford.

"We are surprised and disappointed that the committee has chosen to present an anonymous and potentially malicious claim in this way, without presenting any evidence or giving us an opportunity to respond," a statement by Team Sky said.