UCI boss slams colluding ASO and French sports ministry
Paris-Nice - will it, won't it? (AFP/Getty Images)
World cycling chief Pat McQuaid on Friday stoked the feud with race organisers Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), accusing them of colluding to form a private league with the backing of the French sports ministry.
International Cycling Union (UCI) president McQuaid made his accusations in a column in French daily Le Monde just two days before the start of the Paris-Nice stage race.
The UCI have threatened to expel riders who take part in the first European stage race of the season from their organisation. The race is being organised by the ASO outside the UCI authority but under the aegis of the French federation.
Despite the UCI threat, a representative for the teams' association said Friday afternoon that following a meeting a clear majority of them had agreed to back participation. At the same time, the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) declared it was not for it to judge on the legality of UCI sanctions.
The UCI and ASO are in dispute notably over team selections for the Tour de France, which is organised by the latter.
And McQuaid accused the ASO of "blackmail", using the Tour de France to force teams to participate in the Paris-Nice.
"We have to warn those who love cycling: accepting the demands of the ASO means transforming professional cycling into a league controlled by the dominant organiser and not an organisation representing the collective interest," wrote McQuaid in Le Monde. "The ASO is currently refusing the registration of the Paris-Nice in a calendar determined following a democratic process. They want to place their events outside the regulations to decide themselves, through contracts with the teams, the rules to which they will be subject."
The Irishman also warned that the French federation risked being suspended from the UCI for their support of the ASO. "Its president (French federation) will certainly be called before a disciplinary commission for the same reasons; the riders could be suspended for having participated in a race outside the bounds of UCI regulations."
McQuaid claimed that the organisation of a race outside their jurisdiction would threaten "the efficiency of the anti-doping battle".
And he slammed the French sports ministry for being "more occupied by supporting the projects of the ASO than motivated by the necessity to call to order a private agent which does not respect international rules."
He added: "By favouring the exit of an organiser from a federative framework the Ministry is in effect giving its blessing to the creation of a private league. Surprising, after affirming in November 2007 wanting to avoid it!
"Can a country circumvent international rules to favour what it believes to be national interests, which moreover are not so much threatened but manipulated by a commercial agent? Can a political leader be party to a private organiser who wants to step outside a federative framework which is patiently elaborate?
"It's worth asking these questions."
© AFP 2008
User Comments
There are 3 comments on this post
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 comments
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D Wright
Posted Fri 7 Mar, 9:00 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
Had Pat McQuaid been his own man, I think he would have done a fine job.
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tylerkay
Posted Sun 9 Mar, 2:43 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
What UCI (Pat Mc Quaid and Verbruggen) do last ten years against doping?? NOTHING. Article pusblished in Le Monde is a collection of stupid remarks, nonsenses and mistakes... First of all, conflict not only concerne ASO versus UCI, but RSO, Unipublic and ASO versus UCI. Instead of moderate conflict, UCI try to split cycling world by resuming conflict to ASO versus UCI and taking professionals cyclists hostage. Second, Mc Quaid said ASO is "currently refusing the registration of the Paris-Nice in a calendar determined following a democratic process": UCI have never been a democratic organisation (verbruggen, outgoing president, designate new president, Mc Quaid, for example) and ProTour has never following any democratic process!!!! Pro Tour have been impose by Mc Quaid and Verbruggen (to serve financial intentions), without agreement of majors actors of cycling. Third, McQuaid claimed that the organisation of a race outside their jurisdiction would threaten "the efficiency of the anti-doping battle"!!!!!! that's just great!!!!! is that all??? What are improvements in the fight against doping made by the UCI since 10 years???What are the results??? The general opinion is that 2007 has been the worst year of cycling history!!!! Biological passport is a light version of measures taken by french federation and in its current form, is nearly useless. Since 5 years and the creation of longitudinal medical monitoring for french cyclists, theirs results have never been so bad. Sure that is just a coincidence.... Doping stay common in cycling, it's a certainty. Finally, Mc Quaid accusations against ASO, accusing them of colluding to form a "private league with the backing of the French sports ministry" (??!!). What is he talking about??? Mc Quaid, as verbruggen, use fear to act out of self-interest. French government, ASO, unipuplic, RSO have never made the wish to create a private league, and anyway, they don't even they want. These declarations are just nonsenses. Seriously, Mr Mc Quaid and Verbruggen, it's time to resign from UCI...The complete list of nonsenses from Mc Quaid article: http://laflammerouge.com/article/4636/aso-uci-pour-vraiment-comprendre
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mylesrants
Posted Sat 25 Apr, 8:02 am UTC Flag as inappropriate
Open letter to Mr. Pat Mc Quaid, President of the UCI.
Firstly, may I congratulate you on the efforts to rid our wonderful
sport of the cheats and their suppliers who continue to bring cycling into disrepute.
With major scientific advances in drug-testing procedures, coupled with the
mainstream global desire for a new start, we can visualize an era of
clean, real cycle sport.
Professional Cycling has undergone frequent scandals from the use of performance enhancing products; it is stigmatized as being dirty and therefore
we must take the lead, for all sports, in the prevention of this in
the future.
BikePure is an umbrella group of fans, riders, media and the cycle to protect the integrity and the potential of cycle sport. Through the declarations of thousands of our members, we have compiled a list of recommendations,
which we believe would improve the efficiency of the testing system by creating clarity and restoring trust within the doping agencies.
Bike Pure is the voice of the masses and we feel that the governing
bodies should take on board the feelings and wishes of the governed. We fully understand you have a hard and complex job and wish to assist in every possible way. With 5 current UCI world champions and an affiliate base from over 50 countries, BikePure’s commitment and voice is steadfast and positive.
Our proposals to assist with the clean up of cycling:
1. Introduction and immediate implementation of a blanked, fixed four-year ban from competition for any doping offence.
2. Introduction of life bans for anyone caught doping for the second time.
3. Life bans for management and team personnel working with cyclists to
Assist doping practices.
4. Strict adherence to the rulebook and a time limit of 4 weeks to be set
from sample taken to test result, inclusive of ruling.
5. Unification of all countries testing authorities under the UCI banner,
meaning that any doping infringements in a single country will have automatic
effect globally.
6. A standardization of testing procedures under WADA, to be enforced in
each area.
7. Fully open results of the Bio-Passport program online and listed
infringement penalties.
We hope this meets with your approval and we look forward to a response in
the near future.
www.bikepure.org
Support clean/real riders
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