A report by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has stated that Team Sky "crossed an ethical line" in giving Sir Bradley Wiggins medication that "was not to treat medical need, but to improve his power to weight ratio."

So what is triamcinolone and how could it, as the report says, mean that Wiggins may have "benefited from the performance-enhancing properties of this drug during the race”?

What is Triamcinolone?

Triamcinolone is a corticosteroid, which means it is part of a class of drugs that are used to lessen immune responses such as inflammation. Corticosteroids are a type of steroid – organic compounds that alter cells' behaviour. They are not to be confused with anabolic steroids, which are synthetic versions of testosterone and are used to build muscle.

Doctors prescribe triamcinolone in order to treat conditions such as ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and skin conditions.

Team Sky and Wiggins have always maintained that Wiggins used triamcinolone to treat pollen allergies.