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Cycling Ireland board member who opposed backing of Pat McQuaid resigns

Anto Moran steps down from position four days after vote to nominate McQuaid for a third term as UCI President

Anto Moran, Cycling Ireland Vic-President and the one member of its board who last Friday voted against Pat McQuaid’s nomination for re-election as UCI President for a third four-year term has resigned from his position.

McQuaid’s nomination was endorsed by five votes to one, with one member abstaining. In a statement issued today, the national governing body said:

Cycling Ireland today has accepted the resignation of Anthony Moran from the Board of Cycling Ireland. Moran, who was Vice-President of the Board, has been an active Board member since his election in 2009, and Cycling Ireland would like to acknowledge his work, specifically in the area of High Performance and Development.

Cycling Ireland wishes Anthony all the best in his future endeavours, and hope that his resignation will allow him to spend more time enjoying his cycling.

While no firm rival to McQuaid has emerged ahead of September’s election and as we reported on Saturday, Cycling Ireland has called for reforms to the role including a UCI President only being able to serve two terms, its endorsement of his candidacy has been greeted with dismay by many in Ireland and beyond.

That is linked to a widespread feeling that McQuaid and his predecessor as UCI President, Hein Verbruggen, still need to account for the governing body’s role within the Lance Armstrong scandal.

The UCI had established an independent commission to review its role in those events, but controversially disbanded it in January amid a row over its terms of reference before it had even had a chance to hear any evidence.

In a statement published on the UCI website after Cycling Ireland backed him to stand for a third term, McQuaid, describing himself as “delighted and honoured,” said: “I put myself forward to serve another term as UCI President on my record of developing the sport throughout the world and on combating the scourge of doping in cycling.

“I engaged thoroughly with board members on both subjects and I welcome their recognition of my achievements and their confidence in me as UCI President. 


“The board has requested that I raise certain concerns on governance issues with the UCI Management Committee and I have undertaken to do so. 


“I have set an ambitious agenda to continue developing the sport and to ensure that it remains at the forefront of the fight against doping in sport.

“I look forward to presenting myself for election with the support of my national federation and other federations worldwide,” he added.

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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6 comments

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kitkat | 10 years ago
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In Anto's own words, a radio interview with him:
https://www.newstalk.ie/reader/47.305.363/4104/blog_list/---Former-VP-of...

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Ham-planet | 10 years ago
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Please, reserve your disgust for the board of CI. They're the ones that voted McQuaid back in. A cursory read of boards.ie's cycling forum will illustrate the level of the grassroots CI membership's opposition to McQuaid's nomination.

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Decster | 10 years ago
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Well done Anto Moran and well done to Besty Andreu for making the effort to contact Cycling Ireland. Pity the others did not have any cojones.

Let's see if the rest of the Federations have the balls to reject McQuaid, Hein's puppet, for someone who can make a difference in bettering the sport in many many ways.

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Pat McQuaid Must Go | 10 years ago
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Cycling Ireland are instituting a Hall Of Fame.... I have written to ask them how we can go about getting Anto Moran nominated as the first inductee. He has more cojones than the other seven McQuaid cronies put together.
As the two previous commenters have said 'Fair play to him.... Shame on Cycling Ireland.'

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kitkat | 10 years ago
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Well done Mr Moran. A brave step to take a stance like that in your own back yard.

Shame on the rest of Cycling Ireland who have effectively backed McQuaid's actions through a disgraceful period of the sport.

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_SiD_ | 10 years ago
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Fair play to him. Integrity is thin on the ground Cycling Ireland.

Just wondering if Cycling Ireland impose 2 Term limitations on their own board?

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