The former team doctor for British Cycling and Team Sky has admitted telling “lots of lies” but says he is now ready to tell the truth, his medical tribunal has heard.

Dr Richard Freeman will admit ordering a banned testosterone treatment but will deny it was to enhance a rider’s performance, his lawyer says.

The former British Cycling medic appeared in person for the opening of his medical tribunal after previously failing to turn up due to health reasons.

The hearing is scheduled to open formally on Tuesday, but preliminary comments by his lawyer proved explosive.

Mary O’Rourke QC said Dr Freeman’s witness statement, submitted last month, is now the truth. Her client, she explained, could not previously “bring himself to tell the truth, even to his lawyers”.

“We’re not here to play games” Ms O’Rourke told the tribunal panel.

“We’re here to effectively deal with one issue because everything else is admitted.”

Among the accusations Dr Freeman faces is that he ordered testosterone for an athlete to boost their performance – something he denies.

If proven, it would dwarf any other recent controversy to have hit British Cycling and Team Sky.

Testosterone is outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“What we’re here to determine is the motive behind his ordering of the testosterone – was it ordered to enhance performance of an athlete or for some other reason?” Ms O’Rourke told the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service.

The testosterone delivery at the heart of this case was made just over a year before Britain’s cycling success at the London 2012 Olympics.

Dr Freeman was working for British Cycling and Team Sky at the time and had been a medic for them since 2009.

He then worked solely for British Cycling for another two years. Prior to this, he was head of medicine for Bolton Wanderers FC for eight years.

The tribunal panel heard 30 sachets of testogel were ordered by Dr Freeman in 2011 for a non-rider member of staff.

The lawyer representing the General Medical Council, Mr Simon Jackson QC, said the need for testosterone was not supported by the non-rider’s medical records.

The GMC said the non-rider claims “it was not for me” and they will call on an endocrinologist to say the member of staff had no need for the substance.

Ms O’Rourke said the non-rider patient who requested the testogel was Shane Sutton, former Team Sky coach and former personal coach to Sir Bradley Wiggins.

However, Mr Sutton has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the testogel deliveries.

If Mr Sutton does give evidence in person, Dr Freeman’s lawyer has asked for a screen so the two men can’t see each other.

The tribunal is listed until 20 December and the outcome could have major ramifications for the sport.

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