Both British Cycling and Team Sky are refusing to comment with the UKAD investigation ongoing, but Cope said the 2012 Tour de France winner was being unfairly criticised because of the controversy over his and Team Sky’s use of three therapeutic use exemptions for a corticosteroid prior to the last three grand tours of his career.

Those TUEs came to light last month following the Fancy Bears hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"I think that they're [the media] digging for something that's not actually there," Cope said said. "As [UCI president Brian] Cookson said, there's no wrongdoing. I don't actually want to say too much because whatever you say, potentially it will be taken the wrong way, so I've just been staying away from every journalist.

"I just think that it's very sad that they're trying to bring down a guy who has put this sport on the map in this country, bigger than ever. It's sad, it's just sad. For no wrongdoing. I just don't understand it. I don't understand what they're trying to do."