From the perspective of the men in charge at the UCI he Armstrong interview couldn't really have gone any better. He admitted doping, said the UCI had not covered up for him, and even endorsed the UCI's Biological Passport Programme as having transformed the landscape for serial dopers like himself. All of this was reflected in UCI president Pat McQuaid's comments on the interview:
“Lance Armstrong’s decision finally to confront his past is an important step forward on the long road to repairing the damage that has been caused to cycling and to restoring confidence in the sport," he said.
“Lance Armstrong has confirmed there was no collusion or conspiracy between the UCI and Lance Armstrong. There were no positive tests which were covered up and he has confirmed that the donations made to the UCI were to assist in the fight against doping.
“It was disturbing to watch him describe a litany of offences including among others doping throughout his career, leading a team that doped, bullying, consistently lying to everyone and producing a backdated medical prescription to justify a test result.
“However, Lance Armstrong also rightly said that cycling is a completely different sport today than it was 10 years ago. In particular the UCI's introduction of the biological passport in 2008 – the first sports federation to do so – has made a real difference in the fight against doping.
Some might wonder whether the UCI should set any store by the endorsement of their programme's effectiveness by a self confessed doper and bully, with a win at all costs mentality, and a vested interest in the public efficacy of the programme given his assertion that he raced clean during his comeback.
It is also worth noting that the UCI President had nothing to say about Armstrong's assertion in the interview that his controversial donation to the UCI was made at the UCI's suggestion and not his. Maybe that was too difficult an issue to deal with at four in the morning.
McQuaid's final comment in which he "welcomed" Armstrong's offer to take part in a truth and reconciliation process underlines the organisation's continually evolving position on such a process, one day in favour, then against, then in favour again – with certain conditions. But more on that later.
19 thoughts on “UCI President Pat McQuaid responds to Armstrong interview… he loved it (in so many words)”
McQuaid, he’s just pure evil,
McQuaid, he’s just pure evil, the rotting corpse in the basement that is stinking out the whole house. If we can get rid of him, we can renovate the whole place and bring it up to 21st century standards.
theclaw wrote:McQuaid, he’s
You certainly didn’t hold back – don’t like him myself but you made me smile
🙂
I can only imagine that party
I can only imagine that party they had in Aigle last night.
Lance has thrown them the getaway keys, the money and the certificate of competency…..only they seem to forget that Lance is probably the least credible witness there has ever been!
So let’s see…the people who
So let’s see…the people who (almost certainly, IMHO) were complicit in the biggest sport scam/cover-up of the decade welcome the ringleader saying they didn’t know anything about it?
Sorry :O how is this even remotely plausible news?
So McQuaid welcomes
So McQuaid welcomes Armstrong’s offer to take part in the truth and reconciliation process which the UCI will not offer? FFS
…I’ve said it before, I’ll
…I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, the UCI is the main problem rip it up and start again, seriously – do it, before it’s too late.
So lets get this straight the
So lets get this straight the UCI are in the clear because they have been told so by a guy who has been a pathological liar for the majority of his career.
Please tell me this is not April 1st. I wouldn’t trust the UCI to run a bath.
badback wrote:So lets get
Credible is not the word.
Don’t know about you, but also find the number of people who don’t see the relevance of the Armstrong scandal annoying. If the people at the top are not to be trusted how can cycling repair the damage caused.
LA’s endorsement of the blood passports sounds as hollow as an organ pipe. It seems odd that he would bring it up even. But in a perverse way it just damages the current crop, and how do you trust a governing body that did not seem interested in bringing the truth to light have the moral fortitude to ensure that the sport is clean?!
It impacts the past and the future, and until cycling faces up to this the issue will continue.
Colin Peyresourde
Credible is not the word.
Don’t know about you, but also find the number of people who don’t see the relevance of the Armstrong scandal annoying. If the people at the top are not to be trusted how can cycling repair the damage caused.
LA’s endorsement of the blood passports sounds as hollow as an organ pipe. It seems odd that he would bring it up even. But in a perverse way it just damages the current crop, and how do you trust a governing body that did not seem interested in bringing the truth to light have the moral fortitude to ensure that the sport is clean?!
It impacts the past and the future, and until cycling faces up to this the issue will continue.— badback
What Colin said. Spot on.
Is this the same Pat McQuaid
Is this the same Pat McQuaid who wasn’t supposed to be making any comments until after the second part of the interview had been broadcast?
Simple question for Pat
Simple question for Pat McQuaid:
Armstrong claims that the UCI contacted him and asked for a donation. If this is true, why have you never said so before?
“Lance Armstrong has
“Lance Armstrong has confirmed there was no collusion or conspiracy between the UCI and Lance Armstrong. There were no positive tests which were covered up and he has confirmed that the donations made to the UCI were to assist in the fight against doping.”
Utter bollocks. Armstrong confirmed that the UCI REQUESTED 125 grand from him. That’s not a donation. It’s even shadier than Armstrong offering the money in the first place. Like a mafia boss requiring protection money.
“From the perspective of the
“From the perspective of the men in charge at the UCI he Armstrong interview couldn’t really have gone any better for. ”
Did Yoda write this?
Pat McQuaid is a liar. Fact.
Pat McQuaid is a liar. Fact. Read his statement above and then re-watch the interview. At what point exactly did Lance Armstrong say the ‘donation’ was for fighting doping? It was the complete opposite. Oprah Winfrey said: “You said the donation was about helping them with their anti-doping efforts, obviously it was not.” Armstrong DID NOT CONTRADICT THAT STATEMENT. In fact, Armstrong’s reaction to Oprah’s statement was one of agreement. For Pat McQuaid to state otherwise is nothing but a bald faced lie. It’s about time he was held accountable for his incompetence and corruption and sacked.
Lance Armstrong clearly lied repeatedly in the interview. For this fool McQuaid to try and rely on his statements to exonerate him and the UCI shows just how incompetent and lacking in integrity he is.
Pat McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen need to inform us exactly what happened in 1999 when Armstrong manufactured and backdated a prescription for steroids after he was popped. He admitted this last night. HV/PM need to answer how is it that Armstrong had filled in the form at the beginning of the race saying he was not on any medication nor was it declared at the time he pissed in the bottle AS OPPOSED TO WHEN HE WAS FOUND POSITIVE. Another UCI coverup and no response from UCI/Hein Verbruggen/Pat McQuaid. Lie. Lie. Lie.
Breathtaking.
Reaction from Hein
Reaction from Hein Verbruggen:
“I am pleased that, after years of all the accusations being made against me, the conspiracy theories have been shown to be nothing more than that.”
Astonishing. He’s ACTUALLY saying he has been vindicated. How much longer will the sport be run by this bribe riddled chumocracy?
I’m wondering if the
I’m wondering if the indignation on this site is matched by the French or Italians? If so, surely it can’t be beyond the wit of a generally v intelligent group of people to organise an anti-UCI protest ‘classic’?
You ‘Pat’ my back, I’ll ‘Pat’
You ‘Pat’ my back, I’ll ‘Pat’ yours,believable? Yes.
“Lance Armstrong has
“Lance Armstrong has confirmed there was no collusion or conspiracy between the UCI and Lance Armstrong. There were no positive tests which were covered up”
So what about the failed test in ’99 for corticosteroids – covered up with a back-dated medical note, breaking all UCI rules at that time? It is disgusting that these same people still retain influence at the UCI all these years later.
Criminal scum. Just like
Criminal scum. Just like Armstrong.