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From the Times ? so may not be free for long, below is the article in case it goes behind paywall

CYCLING
British Cycling issues email threat to riders

British Cycling sent an email to its riders that appeared to warn them that their place on the Olympic team would be under threat if they strayed from the official line on the the crisis engulfing the sport.

Riders were told in an email seen by The Times to expect public and media scrutiny after the resignation of Shane Sutton, the technical director, but were warned that how they responded to questions about allegations of sexism and bullying would have a bearing on how they were supported as they bid for glory at Rio 2016.

?You are free to say yes or no to interviews,? riders were told, ?but how you respond will be a big factor in our ability to support you as the season unfolds.?

The email was sent by Andy Harrison, who replaced Sutton after the Australian?s departure four weeks ago, and details how riders should respond to the various allegations.

The email was sent after details emerged of Simon Yates? failed drugs test at the end of April and riders were told that ?it is highly likely that you will be asked for a comment over the weekend. As stated, your response will be a big factor going forward.?

They were then told what suggested responses would be helpful such as: ?I?m confident that they will get to the bottom of these allegations and that British Cycling will emerge stronger as a result.?

The tone did not go down well and one rider asked Harrison what he meant, precisely, by his comments about the team?s ability to support riders and a second email was quickly sent out that apologised for his ?poorly constructed? wording.

?I want to apologise if the first line of the below email is misleading,? Harrison said in his second email. ?The intention of the sentence was to highlight that I want my (and the staff?s) time to be focussed upon supporting you (?the riders?).

?This week has been difficult. The serious issues raised are important and will be dealt with in the correct manner (as indicated in the original email). My hope is that I can spend less time reacting (as has been the necessity this week) and more time supporting the programme (staff and riders).

?I hope this makes sense. Once again I apologise if this genuine sentiment has been lost in a poorly constructed sentence. As always don?t hesitate to contact me to discuss further.?

However, the fact that a threat was implied in the first place has prompted anger. One cyclist on the programme and therefore unwilling to be named said that the ?toxic? culture inside British Cycling was in danger of being airbrushed out of the narrative and it was ?depressing? to be part of it.

British Cycling is under independent review on the orders of UK Sport after a chain of events that has rocked a sport that excelled on the track at the London Games.
Jess Varnish, a sprint cyclist, accused Sutton of telling her to go and have a baby after she was dropped from the team. This was followed by allegations of a bullying and sexist culture and Sutton was then accused of labelling para-cyclists ?gimps? and ?wobblies?. Sutton denies the allegations made against him.

An internal investigation is also under way to determine how Varnish was treated when dropped from the Olympic programme and both the 25-year-old and Sutton are expected to be interviewed imminently.

There are two areas of dispute that need to be resolved.

The first is Varnish?s belief that she was dropped not because of poor or inadequate performance but because she complained publicly about the coaching staff at British Cycling immediately after her team sprint race at the World Championships in March.

Varnish is convinced that she is being punished for having the audacity to question the preparation and approach of staff which culminated with her and Katy Marchant failing to gain the qualification points needed to race in Rio.
British Cycling maintain that Varnish had failed to improve on times she posted four years ago and categorically deny that she was being made to pay for being outspoken.

The second area that requires resolution is whether or not Sutton told her to go and have a baby. ?There was never any talk of babies,? Sutton told The Times before his resignation. ?I don?t know where that?s come from.?
The furore has, though, moved beyond what Sutton did or did not say. Allegations have also been made that Lottery-funded kit has been sold on for profit and that the general culture inside the camp is unacceptable.
Cyclists have until June 4 to compile performance data and those chosen for Rio will have a 48-hour window in which to appeal if not selected.

The email in full

Dear riders,

You will all be aware that we?ve had a bad week. I wanted to let you know where we are ? and as many of you will be in a public and media environment this weekend it is likely you will be asked to comment. You are free to say yes or no to interviews, but how you respond will be a big factor in our ability to support you as the current season unfolds.

We have just announced an independent review into allegations of sexism and discrimination at the request of British Cycling and UK Sport. We take this extremely seriously and will wholly cooperate and ensure that its outcomes are addressed in full.

At the request of UK Sport, we have initiated our own investigation into suggestions that Lottery funded kit has been sold externally for profit.

This is also a serious issue and we will get to the bottom of it.

Finally, you will know by now that a British rider ? identified in the media as Simon Yates ? has been flagged for a potential anti-doping rule violation. While the timing of this news is not ideal, we want to make it clear that Simon?s team has taken full responsibility for the [sic] and this is not connected to British Cycling or the Great Britain Cycling Team. We have offered Simon all the right support.
It is highly likely that you will be asked for a comment over the weekend. As stated, your response will be a big factor going forward. If asked about this week?s events, we ask that you reflect the following messaging:

-?The specific allegations that have been circulating in the media over the past week are extremely serious and I?m pleased to see that British Cycling and UK Sport are launching a full enquiry.

- I?m confident that they will get to the bottom of these allegations and that British Cycling will emerge stronger as a result.?

To move forward, it?s vital that we do the following:

1. Establish the Independent Review and participate in full. Nobody wants this review to get to the root of this serious issue more than us so we can address any shortcomings and continue to build on the massive success we have achieved in recent years. The review will conclude after Rio to ensure that you can participate in a way that doesn?t affect your preparations.

2. Work Together. We work as a team, we win and lose as a team, and we face the public as a team. I ask you to remember that you are the focal point for the efforts of more than 250 people at British Cycling and they are passionate about your success.

3. Work Hard. It is crucial that we remain focused on doing our jobs well and continue to serve the sport to the high standards we expect of ourselves. You have worked too hard for too long to let this affect our preparation for Rio ? the British public?s affection, pride and faith in you is well-earned and your continued success will remain our main focus.

The events of this week have come as a huge shock to us all.

I want to assure everyone ? especially those who may recognise some of the behaviours alleged ? that you will have every opportunity to contribute to the independent review.

If you feel you need to flag something immediately or have any concerns, please raise them with me.

Best wishes
Andy
Andy Harrison
Programmes Director ? Great Britain Cycling Team

Posted By: KentonCanary, May 24, 07:29:35