Pat McQuaid has defended his record on doping in the face of accusations from disgraced ex seven-time winner of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong, set out by the American in a French newspaper interview on the eve of the start of this year's race.
UCI president Pat McQuaid has rejected suggestions by disgraced Lance Armstrong that the Irishman should moved on from the world governing body and neither he nor the UCI would survive the facts that would emerged in a mooted truth and reconciliation process around doping in the sport.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde on the eve of the start of the Tour de France, Armstrong said while he was part of the doping process, he did not lead it.
He added it was impossible to win the Tour de France clean in his era.
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Of McQuaid and the UCI he said: “Pat McQuaid can say and think what he wants, and pretend to be tough on doping. He’s got no credit for this. The sport needs new leadership to try and regain credibility. It simply can’t move on with McQuaid as the leader.”
“(The) UCI is refusing to move on a truth and reconciliation commission because the testimony the world would hear would sink McQuaid, Verbruggen, and the UCI.”
However, in statement issued via the UCI today, Friday, McQuaid rejected the criticisms and said if Armstrong or anybody else had information about doping in the sport they should step forward and supply it to the authorities.
“It is very sad that Lance Armstrong has decided to make this statement on the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France,” McQuaid said.
“However, I can tell him categorically that he is wrong. His comments do absolutely nothing to help cycling. The culture within cycling has changed since the Armstrong era and it is now possible to race and win clean.”
“Riders and teams owners have been forthright in saying that it is possible to win clean – and I agree with them.”
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“Cycling today has the most sophisticated anti-doping infrastructure in sport. Measures such as the introduction of the blood passport, the whereabouts system and the ‘no-needle’ policy are the backbone of our relentless fight against doping.”
“Armstrong has already credited the whereabouts system and the blood passport. As he said himself in his interview with Oprah Winfrey: ‘The introduction of the biological passport [in 2008] worked’.”
“Armstrong’s views and opinions are shaped by his own behaviour and time in the peloton. Cycling has now moved on.”
“The key thing is that the whole culture in cycling has undergone a complete sea-change. We may not yet have eradicated doping completely – unfortunately there will always be some riders who persist – but we are catching them, and the attitude in the peloton has switched against them.”
“We will never turn back – and my work to ensure that we have a clean sport is unrelenting.”
“In addition, the UCI is totally committed to conducting an independent audit into its behaviour during the years when Armstrong was winning the Tour. The UCI’s invitation to WADA to work with us on this stands.”
“If WADA will not, however, the UCI will press ahead itself and appoint independent experts to carry out this audit.”
“The management committee, meeting in Bergen this month, together with the sub-committee appointed to establish the audit together with WADA, have reiterated their total commitment to completing the process. “
“And once the audit is completed, the UCI remains totally committed to some form of ‘truth process’ for professional cycling.”
“As I have said on numerous occasions, I have nothing to hide and no fear of any investigation or Truth and Reconciliation process. If Armstrong – or indeed anyone else – has evidence to the contrary, he should produce it now and put a stop to this ongoing damage to cycling."
