Chris Froome: I will be tainted by Jonathan Tiernan-Locke's doping charge Those discrepancies sparked an International Cycling Union investigation. Despite being confident that an illness he had suffered would explain his anomalous biological passport readings, the UCI formally charged Tiernan-Locke, who responded by vowing to clear his name. Should he fail, not only will he be sacked but questions will be asked as to how he managed to slip through the Team Sky net, particularly as he attended two of their training camps last year prior to joining them. The team, which have a zero-­tolerance approach to doping, released Tiernan-Locke from their care pending the outcome of his hearing. "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke will not ride for Team Sky or take part in any team activities until a decision is made in this disciplinary hearing process," the team said in a statement. There are no doubts about his approach or performance in Team Sky. This is a team that trains, races and wins clean. Tiernan-Locke joined Sky from Endura Racing, with whom he won the 2012 Tour of Britain, around the same time that the anomalous readings were taken. Endura team manager Brian Smith said: "He's not a doper. Endura Racing had a no-doping stance and he was true to his word. Throughout the Tour of Britain, he was urine-tested every day and a blood booster would have shown up, so it doesn't make sense. Tiernan-Locke's representatives issued a statement which read: "Mr Tiernan-Locke vehemently denies the charges brought against him and has informed the UCI that he fully intends to contest them. Mr Tiernan-Locke is looking forward to a speedy and just resolution of these charges.