Chris Froome praises Team Sky leader Dave Brailsford

LONDON (AP) Three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome praised Team Sky leader Dave Brailsford on Monday, saying he has learned from his mistakes.

Brailsford has expressed a determination to retain his job as team principal despite the ongoing U.K. Anti-Doping investigation into allegations of wrongdoing.

Several members of Team Sky issued public support for Brailsford last week, but Froome's statement only arrived on Monday.

''With respect to Dave Brailsford, he has created one of the best sports teams in the world. Without Dave B, there is no Team Sky,'' Froome said. ''He has supported me throughout the last seven years of my career and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities and the experiences I've had.

''By his own admission, mistakes have been made, but protocols have been put in place to ensure that those same mistakes will not be made again. I know it will take time for faith to be restored, but I will do my utmost to ensure that happens, along with everyone else at Team Sky.''

The investigation centers on whether anti-doping rules were broken by Team Sky or Bradley Wiggins on the last day of the Criterium du Dauphine race in June 2011.

Team Sky, Wiggins and Brailsford deny wrongdoing over the contents of a mystery package. Froome apologized on behalf of Team Sky's riders for the handling of that episode, while issuing his own defense of the British squad established by Brailsford in 2009 to win the country's first Tour de France titles.

''I completely understand why people feel let down by the way in which the situation has been handled, and going forward we need to do better,'' Froome said. ''I would like to apologize for this on behalf of myself and the other riders of Team Sky who feel passionately about our sport and winning clean. I believe in the people around me, and what we are doing.''