Three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has described the rules allowing athletes to take drugs that would normally be banned under sport’s anti-doping rules as “open to abuse” and in need of urgent reform.

In a post on his Twitter feed, Froome said he does not have a “win at all costs” approach to sport and has never pushed the boundaries of what is allowed.

Froome, who won his third Tour de France title in four years in July, said: “I take my position in sport very seriously and I know that I have to not only abide by the rules, but also go above and beyond that to set a good example both morally and ethically.

“It is clear that the TUE (therapeutic use exemption) system is open to abuse and I believe that this is something the UCI (cycling’s governing body) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) need to urgently address.”

The 31-year-old rider’s comments come a fortnight after a group of Russian computer hackers, known as the Fancy Bears, started releasing medical data belonging to more than 100 leading athletes that it stole from WADA.

The Fancy Bears have published therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) – effectively doctors’ notes – that have permitted these athletes to use drugs on WADA’s banned list but only for recognised medical conditions and under strict circumstances.