According to The Daily Telegraph, Chris Froome acknowledged that it was “inevitable” that team-mate Jonathan Tiernan-Locke’s doping case would provide ammunition for critics of the Tour de France champion’s own performances.

Tiernan-Locke became the first Team Sky rider to face disciplinary action over a failed drugs test, leaving Froome to fear that he would suffer by association.

The 28-year-old, who was beleaguered by insinuations about doping on his way to claiming the yellow jersey despite never failing a test, told BBC Sport: “Definitely. Inevitably that’s the reality of it. It’s hugely unfortunate for the team this is now happening.”

Team Sky were last night investigating their recruitment of Tiernan-Locke, who “vehemently denies” any wrongdoing, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Affirmation that Tiernan-Locke was facing disciplinary proceedings prompted Sir Dave Brailsford’s team to look into whether more could have been done to flag up potential inconsistencies in his blood values before he joined them in January.

Those discrepancies sparked a UCI 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.

Responding to the case against Tiernan-Locke, the team, which boasts a zero-tolerance approach to doping, released the rider 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’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.”