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USADA boss slams UCI over scrapping of "blindfolded and handcuffed" Independent Commission

Travis Tygart reacts to yesterday evening's decision by governing body to disband panel...

Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) has accused the UCI of having “blindfolded and handcuffed” the Independent Commission it set up to examine its own role in the Lance Armstrong scandal, following the governing body’s announcement yesterday evening that it was disbanding the panel. He has also accused the UCI of acting to protect its own interests.

“The UCI blindfolded and handcuffed its independent commission and now hopes the world will look the other way while the UCI attempts to insert itself into the investigation into the role it played in allowing the doping culture to flourish,” commented Tygart in a statement issued via email.

Last night, the UCI laid the blame for its decision to scrap the Independent Commission firmly at the door of USADA and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), saying that their refusal to participate in the process meant that any report would be incomplete and lack credibility. At the same time, it said that it was working with WADA to formulate a Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

The Independent Commission, chaired by retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Philip Otton, and also comprising the Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson and Australian QC, Malcolm Holmes, who is also President of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, is expected to issue a statement later today in reaction to the UCI’s announcement.

It had been ordered by the UCI Management Committee in October in part to address allegations against the governing body contained in USADA’s Reasoned Decision in the Armstrong case. The Independent Commission had been due to hold evidential hearings in April and to issue its report in June.

On Friday it held a public hearing in London to debate, among other issues, whether consideration of a truth and reconciliation process and potential amnesty should be incorporated within its terms of reference.

Both USADA and WADA had pushed for such a process to be instituted, but until a very public u-turn by the UCI on the subject threw Friday’s hearing into chaos, the governing body had appeared inflexible on the issue, saying that it should apply to other sports beyond cycling, and that the World Anti Doping Code would need to be changed to take account of any amnesty.

“We have always fully supported a well-structured truth and reconciliation process in order to clean up the sport and protect the rights of athletes,” added Tygart, “but it is clear that the UCI cannot be allowed to script its own self-interested outcome in this effort.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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8 comments

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mornic | 11 years ago
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Gotta say i agree with uci for once, no one wanted the independent commision in the first place, now they scrapped it, everyone wants to know why!!! WADA and USADA are scapegoating uci, when they should be asking questions of ALL other sports in the wake of puerto.

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Dr. Ko | 11 years ago
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Or maybe Fawlty Towers.  4

"Do not mention the war (on dope)"  43

Over charging the guests.  39

Manuel (from Barcelona) doing the PR stuff  20

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Pitstone Peddler | 11 years ago
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Outstanding idea Ubercurmudgeon! The UCI is a joke, surely, its 'leaders' have to face a no confidence vote. It does indeed beggar belief.

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ubercurmudgeon | 11 years ago
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You couldn't make it up. Actually, someone should make it up: into a wacky sitcom roughly in the style of 'Alo 'Alo. There could be all sorts of plots involving hiding dope test results inside sausages stuffed down trousers and fat and incompetent officials occupying opulent chateau (or concrete and steel office buildings in Switzerland.)

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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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Beggars belief.

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mr-andrew | 11 years ago
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sadly, its a bit of sleight-of-hand that will probably work

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antonio | 11 years ago
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'Pat strikes again' the comic opera continues!

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Dread66 | 11 years ago
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So the UCI trying to cover their backsides while blaming everyone else.

Who'd a thought it?  13

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