Pat McQuaid (on the right, seen here with Sean Kelly) has insisted he will run for the office of UCI president and that mooted changes to the rules of the election are all above board.
The war of words between UCI president Pat McQuaid and the man who is challenging him for that job, Brian Cookson, has continued with the Irishman saying proposed rule changes that would benefit his election chances do not amount to rule breaking.
McQuaid was responding to Cookson’s criticisms after it emerged the Malaysian cycling federation wants the UCI congress in September to vote on a proposal allowing any two cycling federation to nominate a candidate to run for the UCI presidency.
The UCI says if the proposal is passed it will be backdated to the current period. And the Thai and Moroccan federations have announced they want to nominate McQuaid to run for office.
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It would mean McQuaid could run with their backdated backing even if he were to lose Swiss Cycling’s nomination any time between now and the election in September.
That Swiss nomination is currently being legally challenged.
The deadline for nominations passed last month, but the UCI has said that because news of the proposal is only reaching national federations now, it will this once allow the mooted rule changes to be backdated.
It means the nomination of McQuaid by the Thais and Moroccans will be valid for the current election if the rule change is passed at the UCI’s congress in September, where the UCI presidential election will also be held.
However, McQuaid said on RTE radio this morning that he can be nominated, and could always be nominated irrespective of any rule change, by any federation of which he is a member. He said even if the mooted rule change is not passed, he currently had nominations under the current rules from three federations and that any one of those nominations is enough to see him run.
"Those nominations from Thailand and Morocco are valid because they were in on time," he said.
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Cookson reacted angrily to the Malaysian proposal saying the move was indicative of the "embarrassing" measures to which McQuaid will go to “cling to power”. However, the Irishman has defended the unusual turn of events saying it is within the rules.
“No one has changed the rules,” he said in a statement.
“No one has broken the rules. I have received enormous support from federations around the world urging me to stand for re-election and expressing their hope that I will continue on as UCI president. These nominations are a testament to that.”
"Morocco, for example, is now Africa's number one cycling nation qualifying riders for the UCI World Championships and the Olympic Games. I have witnessed the growth of cycling in Morocco on my many visits there since becoming UCI president in 2005 and my membership of that federation goes back to early 2009.”.
“There was nothing stopping Brian Cookson from showing an interest in cycling around the world over the years by joining other federations that would have allowed him to secure additional nominations when he decided to stand for president. I (suspect) that his horizons however do not stretch much further than British Cycling and that his home is where his heart and ambitions as a presidential candidate lie.”
He said the proposal by the Malaysians to change Article 51 of the UCI rules was forwarded to all members of the UCI management committee as far back as May 22nd.
“This proposal should not come as a surprise to anyone on the UCI management committee. It has now been formally submitted in accordance with the rules and it is for congress to decide whether it should be accepted or rejected. Unlike Mr Cookson, I have enough confidence in my candidature to respect that.”
“Whatever the decision of congress it will not change the fact that I have three valid nominations to stand as a candidate for re-election. While Brian Cookson and his commercial supporters may wish otherwise I am pleased to declare that he will face an election in September and that they cannot escape that reality.”
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