Jamie Fuller (left) of the Skins clothing company appears to have played a key role in Swiss Cycling withdrawing its support for Pat McQuaid; seen here with former Tour de France winner and World Champion Greg Lemond at the Change Cycling Now conference in London late last year.
The decision by Swiss Cycling to withdraw its election nomination for embattled International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid has prompted one of his most outspoken critics to say: “The message is getting louder and louder and clearer and clearer; the man just has to go away and leave the sport.”
Jamie Fuller, an Australian businessman who funded three members of Swiss Cycling in their challenge of the federation’s nomination of McQuaid to run for a third term as UCI president, believes the Dubliner should do the honourable thing and vacate his position.
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However, McQuaid is insisting today that he will run, and he appears to believe that once he runs he will win.
Fuller said it was imperative there was a change at the top of the sport.
“He’s the greatest threat to the future and the integrity of the sport and it is absolutely clear that everybody should be united in trying to get rid of this man from his position.”
“To have a man that is supposedly leading the sport flagrantly disregard the rules; not just bend them but to turn them inside out so he can hold onto his job, shows complete disregard for the concept of right and wrong.”
“It shows complete disregard for accountability and sets an awful, awful example for the world at large with respect to cycling’s reputation. It is ludicrous.”
Having initially secured the nomination of Cycling Ireland to run for president, McQuaid saw that rescinded following a vote at a specially convened Cycling Ireland EGM.
In the meantime, he had already turned to Swiss Cycling as a resident of Switzerland but it soon emerged its support was far from unanimous.
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A legal challenge to its nomination was submitted, with a hearing date set for tomorrow, Thursday.
But facing the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost the legal case and was forced to pay total costs in excess of €160,000, Swiss Cycling came under huge pressure to change its mind.
Today, it caved under that pressure and cut its losses, releasing the following statement: “The managing committee of Swiss cycling has returned to its decision of 13 May 2013 regarding the nomination of Pat McQuaid and decided to withdraw the nomination of Pat McQuaid for his re-election to the presidency of the UCI.”
The tribunal that was due to hear the case tomorrow will not take place in light of the decision to withdraw its nomination.
Fuller, the chairman of the Skins clothing company, had agreed to pay the costs of the three Swiss Cycling members who were taking the case, some 100,000 francs or just over €80,000. Swiss Cycling was required to pay its own costs to the tune of the same amount.
And if it lost the case, it would be required to pay the costs of both sides. Fuller said as tomorrow’s hearing date approached, he was willing to commit the money to fund the challenge but suggest the Swiss were not willing to pay the money to defend their position and so opted out of the process by rescinding its support for McQuaid.
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