about was able to escape. bye! nicholas witchell, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's louise lear. we had rain, hailand even we had rain, hail and even some snow raining down on us today but we have also had some beautiful rainbow pictures as well, so a little bit of everything in the forecast today and plenty of that to come unfortunately as we go through the weekend with more significant rain through the night tonight with these weather fronts crossing. plenty of isobars on the charts, that nagging north—westerly wind is going to be here through the night and into tomorrow, slowly easing down by sunday. we could see further snow falling at low levels across scotland and perhaps through the peaks and pennines so we start off tomorrow with sunny spells and scattered showers but the trend is

for most of those showers to be along the north and west facing coast are driven along by that wind. some will rattle further inland. we are likely to see gusts of a0 or 50 mph. wrap up warm if you are going out for some exercise. in the sunshine we should see a maximum of 10 degrees. saturday into sunday we have another weather front that is just going to bring more wet weather into the far north—west. high pressure desperately trying to bow then from the south. we will get there into next week but for sunday for many others it will be dry and settled with some sunshine particularly the further east you are but more rain into northern ireland, western scotland and wales. the best of the sunshine further east. high pressure i was talking about is arriving slowly but so it does mean we will start to see a trend of something a little bit

quieter into next week. drierfor most of us, it looks as if it will stay on the cool side for the middle to end of march. that's it, so it's goodbye from me. now on bbc one, let'sjoin our news teams where you are.

hello and welcome to sportsday. i'mjohn watson. coming up tonight... serious questions for british cycling after former team doctor richard freeman is found guilty of ordering a banned substance for an unamed rider. we'll assess the repuational damage to the sport. different ball, different format. and england on the attack in ahmedabad. frictions building at bramhall lane — why chris wilder's leaving with just ten games remaining. also coming up in the programme... after their covid outbreak, can france maintain their title challenge at twickenham in the six nations? good evening. richard freeman, one of the leading figures at british cycling at a time

of unprecedented success, found guilty today of ordering a banned substance to dope an unnamed rider. freeman was the top medic working at both british cycling and team sky, between 2009 and 2015, at a time when british cycling dominated the track and began a period of huge success on the road. he stood accused in a general medical council tribunal, which lasted for more than two years, of ordering testosterone to the team's headquarters back in 2011, knowing it was to boost an athlete's performance. our sports editor dan roanjoins me now. good evening to you. give us a sense of how damaging this is. it’s evening to you. give us a sense of how damaging this is.— how damaging this is. it's a devastating _ how damaging this is. it's a devastating blow, - how damaging this is. it's a devastating blow, john, - how damaging this is. it's a devastating blow, john, to | how damaging this is. it's a i devastating blow, john, to the reputation of arguably the country's most successful and one of its best

funded 0lympic sports. the metal factory is what it became known as, such was the success over an unprecedented decade, the victories on the road but also 0lympic unprecedented decade, the victories on the road but also olympic and paralympic metals. really the driving force behind team gb's revival. forthe driving force behind team gb's revival. for the chief medic himself, doctor richard freeman, to have been found guilty of ordering a banned substance, testosterone, here with the intention that it would be used to help an unnamed rider to cheat really does take some believing and some recovering from as well. british cycling claims it has been reformed in recent years, there are new protocols, new codes of conduct and leadership, but this means that moving on from cycling's chequered past is proving much more difficult than perhaps even they had

envisioned. just to summarise quickly, these allegations emerged in 2018 when the general medical council charged record freeman —— richard freeman of a host of accusations. he accepted 18 of them, including initially lying to uk anti—doping about that delivery. he said it was an error and admitted subsequently that he had in fact ordered it. he always insisted it had been done so to treat a medical condition. he said the former director had an erectile dysfunction, which he bullied him into ordering the testosterone to cheat. the gmc said he had ordered it to override. freeman denied his lying claims. the former technical director of british cycling assort wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most --eole, wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most

peeple. i'm — wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most people, i'm saddened _ wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most people, i'm saddened in _ wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most people, i'm saddened in the - wild ago spoke to the bbc. like most people, i'm saddened in the sense i people, i'm saddened in the sense that obviously, there will be an ongoing — that obviously, there will be an ongoing investigation into why or who he _ ongoing investigation into why or who he ordered this particular product — who he ordered this particular product for. that saddens me because working _ product for. that saddens me because working with great athletes, when you look— working with great athletes, when you look at the charges and the boys and days _ you look at the charges and the boys and days gone by and all these people — and days gone by and all these people in— and days gone by and all these people in the association with the doctor. _ people in the association with the doctor. it — people in the association with the doctor, itjust cast people in the association with the doctor, it just cast a people in the association with the doctor, itjust cast a shadow people in the association with the doctor, it just cast a shadow over great _ doctor, it just cast a shadow over great athletes. there's not many, but all _ great athletes. there's not many, but all these guys i worked with, i maintained that we were running the cleanest _ maintained that we were running the cleanest programme in the world. this is— cleanest programme in the world. this is saddened that this is an ongoing — this is saddened that this is an ongoing investigation.- this is saddened that this is an ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while _ ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while ago. _ ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while ago. i _ ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while ago. i should - ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while ago. i should say - ongoing investigation. talking to us a short while ago. i should say of. a short while ago. i should say of course there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by any of the cyclists or staff mentioned there, nor indeed

any others connected with this case orany any others connected with this case or any other case in the past. but nonetheless, this verdict, this damning verdict doesn't raise serious unanswered questions, not least which rider was doctor freeman ordering that test wrong for? he's been cast of something of a robot carburettor —— that testosterone. —— robe operator. will he not reveal anything more about what went on in the years that he was in charge of the years that he was in charge of the medicine cabinet? this may not be the and. remember that he still faces at two anti—doping charges. dan roan, many thanks indeed. a quick look at some other headlines... this crash on stage three

of the tirreno—adriatico has damaged geraint thomas' hopes of overall victory. the delay saw the briton finish 19 seconds behind stage winner mathiue van der pol. thomas is now 28th overall. meanwhile, slovenia's primoz roglic extended his lead in the week long paris—nice race after winning stage six. he surged ahead in the last 200 metres of the climb to increase his overall advantage. and formula one world champion lewis hamilton had a tricky return to action as preseason testing got under way in a sandstorm in bahrain. the briton was tenth for mercedes. red bull's max verstappen went quickest. to the disappointing into their test series, england show why they were the world's best in cricket, producing an eight wicked victory. it was underpinned by impressive performances by the bat and the ball

as andy swiss can tell us. after being walloped in the test series, now with england's term to do the walloping. the most emphatic of wins set up earlier by some brilliant bowling. jeffrey archer led the way. the home fans —— jofra archer. this remarkable six. 0therwise, jofra archer. this remarkable six. otherwise, it was all about england's near flawless in the field. they clung on to every catch and despite a half—century, they restricted india to a mere 12a. it didn't look enough and england's opener. sue made sure it wasn't. joss butler gave the crowd some serious practice. before long, india's hopes advantaged in a blaze of boundaries. england cruising to victory and as the world's top rank

team, this was some statement —— jos buttler. england off to a brilliant start. sergio garcia kicked off the second round. he's three shots behind the spaniard on his first two holes today. garcia was in trouble at the first, but this remarkable escape from the pine straw set up a power. he birdied the second it is now two shots clear from the field. his was one of the footballing success stories of recent seasons, manager chris wilder taking sheffield united from the championship to a ninth placed finish in the premier league last season, which makes his decision to leave the club surprising despite united sitting bottom and facing relegation, as paul 0gden explains.

from lead one to the premier leave, he's quite something. 0ne from lead one to the premier leave, he's quite something. one of chris wilder because my greatest achievement was reunite sheffield united fans with the club itself —— chris wilder's achievement. when wilder led the mass chorus. personally. some similar you clear communication from football club is what fans need tonight because the actual trigger for wilder's departure has still actual triggerfor wilder's departure has still not been clarified. football's social media users immediatelyjumped to his support. but a resignation by the notoriously single—minded manager can't be ruled out either. such has been of the unhappiness over certain aspects of his working environment. recruitment of players, the need to upgrade training facilities and even the definition of wilder's own role within a management structure were causes for concern. speaking earlier this year, wilder barely concealed his frustrations off the field as

the team continued to fail on it. i the team continued to fail on it. i put my views forward as always as honestly as i will always do for what i think is the best thing for this football club, and make my opinion, which i think is and should be valid, with the connection i got with the football club to improve us always. with the football club to improve us alwa s. �* , ., , with the football club to improve us alwa s. �*, ., , .,, always. he's referred to himself as the head coach. _ always. he's referred to himself as the head coach. the _ always. he's referred to himself as the head coach. the bits _ always. he's referred to himself as the head coach. the bits and - always. he's referred to himself as the head coach. the bits and bobs| the head coach. the bits and bobs that peeple _ the head coach. the bits and bobs that people here _ the head coach. the bits and bobs that people here around _ the head coach. the bits and bobs that people here around chatfield| the head coach. the bits and bobs i that people here around chatfield on twitter. _ that people here around chatfield on twitter, the relationship between wilder— twitter, the relationship between wilder in — twitter, the relationship between wilder in particular has kind of broken — wilder in particular has kind of broken down. the wilder in particular has kind of broken down.— wilder in particular has kind of broken down. the lead position wouldn't have _ broken down. the lead position wouldn't have helped, - broken down. the lead position wouldn't have helped, but - broken down. the lead position wouldn't have helped, but for l broken down. the lead position - wouldn't have helped, but for once, being bottom of the premier league with no hope of avoiding relegation

is not why chris wilder is no longer the manager. the players' shortcomings appear to be the tip of the iceberg. paul 0gden, bbc news. chelsea will face the two—time winners wolfsburg in the quarterfinals of the women's champions league. here's the draw in full. the other english side still in the competition, manchester city, will take on barcelona, who lead the first division in spain, having won all 18 of their matches so far this season. wsl leaders chelsea start at home against wolfsburg, who were last season's runners up, and who've them out of europe on three previous occasions. —— who've been out of. the fa has apologised for mis—timing their calls to players who hadn't made the shortlist for great britain's squad for this summer's olympics in tokyo. birmingham goalkeeper hannah hampton was devastated to hear the news just an hour and a half before their wsl game against everton last night. manager carla ward said it affected her performance in their a—0 home defeat. the fa admitted it was an error and

said they took full responsibility for the upset it caused. the list of potential players has been trimmed down before the final squad is named in may. still to come on sportsday... we'll hear all about uk athletic�*s new race equality network from double paralympic champion kadeena cox. everyone's been trained up in the area. it's a quarter to seven. the six nations resumes this weekend with so many fascinating subplots. wales, already winners of the triple crown, take on italy. the french, recovering from a covid outbreak, hoping to underline their title credentials with victory over england. the twickenham clash no longer the pivotal game that many had predicted it would be at the start of the tournament, asjoe lynskey reports. france beat ireland

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