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news
UCI logo on whitePaul Kimmage lodges criminal complaint against UCI after Armstrong defamation case against him is suspended
The cycling journalist Paul Kimmage has lodged a criminal complaint against Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid of the UCI, after they brought him to the brink of a defamation lawsuit over articles about their involvement in the Armstrong doping scandal published by The Sunday Times and L’Equipe .
The counter-suing, for slander or defamation, denigration and "strong suspicions of fraud", comes just days after the UCI suspended its action against Kimmage, pending an independent investigation into the organisation's involvement in the Armstrong affair.
Kimmage wrote on Twitter: "I have lodged a criminal complaint against Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid.
"I have initiated these proceedings not for myself - this is not about Paul Kimmage, but on behalf of the whistle blowers - Stephen Swart, Frankie Andreu, Floyd Landis, Christophe Bassons, Nicolas Aubier, Gilles Delion, Graeme Obree and every other cyclist who stood up for truth and the sport they loved and were dismissed as "cowards" and "scumbags" by Verbruggen and McQuaid."
A statement released by Kimmage's lawyers, Bonnard Lawson, said the complaint had been lodged with the public prosecutor in the Swiss town of Vevey.
The statement added: "Paul Kimmage complains, among other things, that he was dragged through the mud, that he was called a liar in public and accused in public of committing offences against the honour after he had obtained the publication of an interview by Floyd Landis in which the latter denounced the conduct of the highest officials of the International Cycling Union (UCI)."
Just last month, McQuaid said: “This is about a journalist who accused me and my predecessor and the UCI of being corrupt, and it’s a straightforward defamation case."
Kimmage was due in Switzerland on December 12th to attend trial, backed by a legal fund supplied by his supporters, which made over 83,000 dollars in donations.
In an open letter on his Facebook page, Greg Lemond, who now reverts to being the only American ever to win the Tour de France, said: "Pat McQuaid, you know damn well what has been going on in cycling, and if you want to deny it, then even more reasons why those who love cycling need to demand that you resign."
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38 comments
Forgive if I'm over simplifying this, but is not this David vs Goliath in a way?
UCI was throwing shit at him, saying he was full of it etc and dismissed him. Now the tables have turned and he is able to get back at them as they are no longer able to "reasonably" deny what he is saying due to the recent doping uncovering explosion?
I donated after reading Greg LeMond's open letter. I expect him to spend the money appropriately.
I think you are trying to make the facts fit your perspective. These people cheated at sport (which is entertainment) at a time when perhaps 90% of the peloton was doing the same. They didn't break into your house or commit violent crimes. And perhaps you've never met anyone who made mistakes and subsequently tried to right some of the wrongs. You might learn something if you did.
I don't know enough about Landis and Hamilton but I think Millar is genuinely trying hard to do some good. Perhaps you should spend a day or even a few very public minutes in Kimmage's shoes. He's not had an easy time in cycling over the last 20 years, he could have done a lot of things instead of repeatedly spitting in the soup.
I've never been into hero worship, I don't idolise anyone - they're all human, with their faults and weaknesses - but I have a pretty unambiguous impression that the likes of Kimmage and Millar are helping improve the sport whereas it appears McQuaid and Verbruggen are not. And more generally it's true that if you're not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
Why is empathy such a rare commodity these days? It's easy to toss insults on an internet forum. If they aren't doing it right then what would you do to change the sport?
You seem to know a lot about Kimmage and what he apparently gave up, so can you tell me what he could have been doing for the last 20 years instead of "spitting in the soup". By his own admission, he only got his journalism career on the back of his book, and apparently now he's unemployed. So what golden career would he have embarked on if he hadn't have written the book ?
Hopefully this will see the end of a corrupt era with the removal of McQuaid and Verbruggen.
Chapeau Monsieur Kimmage!
colinth, did I say I knew a lot? No. Classic oppositional stance there. I don't pretend to know a lot but I try to read widely, preferably by people who know a lot more than me. Perhaps I'm wrong (does it matter?) but at least I'm open to that possibility. You give the impression that you've made up your mind.
I'm sure Kimmage has done plenty as well as writing about cycling, I've read some of it. Why don't you ask him? Ask him why he still feels the need to write about cycling.
Do you think he's a poor journalist? Do you feel it's because the book that started his career was about doping in cycling? Should that make any difference? Would he even want a "glittering" career? Sean Yates left cycling and apparently did landscape gardening until DB knocked on his door. Is that preferable? Is Yates 'better' than Kimmage because he keeps his mouth shut?
Perhaps you could ask David Walsh, who has also written a lot about doping in cycling, for another opinion.
NY Velocity interviewed Kimmage in 2009:
http://nyvelocity.com/content/interviews/2009/paul-kimmage
And for those still interested, here's a thoroughly modern review of Rough Ride.
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2012/10/1/3436624/rough-ride-by-paul-kimmage
Again, I'm not hero worshipping, I see someone trying to make things better. Your responses remind me somewhat of the mealy-mouthed "never tested positive", "Kimmage is damaging the sport" crap we've all seen before.
Simon, you said he could have done a lot of things so by implication I thought out knew that, sorry if I misunderstood and it was just a wild guess.
I've read a few of his other articles / interviews and it puzzles me how such a vehement anti doper never mentions doping in these interviews. He's interviewed top tennis players but didn't mention the weak drug testing policy nor links to operation Puerto. He wrote a whole book about a young guy who's rugby career was ended by neck injury,but not once did he mention the serious steroid problem in modern rugby which is contributing to the number of serious injuries. He'll happily keep quiet about other sports when he's being paid to write, but when it comes to cycling that's all he writes about, ever. Even to the point where he just throws wild accusations around like he did with that terrible piece in the daily mail about Wiggins.
You say I should ask him, I tried recently. Asked why he didn't mention it n other sports on twitter and he didn't reply
Sorry I meant that I'm sure he surely could have applied himself in a range of careers, nothing more.
Good point about the absence of questions on this thorny topic elsewhere. I'm surprised it never surfaced in the rugby biography. My guess is that he knows the vilification would be at least as bad as he has experienced in cycling. He wouldn't get very far if he tries asking and therefore won't get the next interview, therefore no job.
It's a shame he didn't reply, it would be interesting to know. Perhaps he will enlighten us in due course.
Muahahaha
Brilliant! Comment of the day!
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