Showing amazing ineptitude, Pat McQuaid, 'president' of the UCI has managed to make himself the story this week. Rather than starting to clear up the mess revealed by the USADA report, McQuaid has stirred up an EPO driven hornets' nest by calling Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton 'scumbags' for eventually telling the truth about their doping along with Armstrong's. Hardly presidential language!
At the UCI press conference on Monday McQuaid had the chance to provide a lead – a reassurance that UCI would be striving to make as sure as possible that doping would be eradicated as far as possible from the sport. McQuaid managed the easy part stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour victories and accepting the USADA life ban. But that was as good as it got.
UCI will continue to take money from riders, who they are supposed to be policing, despite all the grief that Armstrong's donations to the UCI have caused. No chance of moving on by dropping the foolish and vengeful legal action against Paul Kimmage. It then transpired that the UCI's endorsement of the USADA report was much less ringing than MacQuaid present it to the world's press. This reinforcing the impression that the UCI would have preferred that USADA never assembled a case against Armstrong and that during the Armstrong's years the UCI turned a blind eye to what was going on. No wonder the USADA released their case against Armstrong to the world leaving the UCI little option but to accept its findings and verdict on Armstrong.
Little wonder that there are now calls for McQuaid to stand down – firstly from Tyler Hamilton and then, much more credibly, from triple winner Greg Lemond.
Day by day the action against Paul Kimmage becomes a bigger and bigger PR disaster for McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen. The Kimmage defense fund, which was started on 20th September, has now reached $81,448.50 with donations from 2724 people all voting against McQuaid and Verbruggen. Perhaps predictably McQuaid has been shredded on twitter with his reputation now toast.
Time for McQuaid and Verbruggen to go. Whether they will is quite another matter. Chances are that, like Sapp Splatter, they will cling limpet-like to their posts devoid of any credibility.
Time for McQuaid and Verbruggen to go. Whether they will is quite another matter. Chances are that, like Sapp Splatter, they will cling limpet-like to their posts devoid of any credibility.
Views on McQuaid: here (Richard Williams-Guardian), Greg Lemond's open letter and comment here.
UCI v USADA: Here
Michael Ashenden: The curious tale of Armstrong's donations to the UCI.
Which clean riders might have won the Armstrong Tours– 1999-2005?
26.10.12 am: Paul Kimmage Defense fund is now $82,651.50 from 2762 donors. Donate here.
26.10.12 pm: Paul Kimmage Defense fund is now $83126.50 from 2782 donors. Donate here.
2 comments:
Hi Jim
Yep it's been painful watching Pat bumble through this - he's either showing complete incompetence or complete corruption. Either way he is far from the right man to lead the sport at the moment.
Greg was right, again. Pat and Hein should be quivering in their boots this weekend. And seriously considering their futures.
Bikehound. Thanks. As you say it's either incompetence or corruption or even a lethal combination of the two. It is great that nearly 2800 people have donated to the Paul Kimmage fund.Says it all.
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