There was no donation, no wait it was €25,000, actually...

ajk24

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mcquaid-reveals-armstrong-made-two-donations-to-the-uci

Lumen

Can anyone explain the organisational responsibilities in cycling? e.g. UCI, WADA etc.

I don't understand why the UCI was buying blood testing machines, whilst at the same time being responsible for the promotion of the sport. Those two roles seem to create a huge conflict of interest.

niceonetom

Lumen wrote: »

I don't understand why the UCI was buying blood testing machines, whilst at the same time being responsible for the promotion of the sport. Those two roles seem to create a huge conflict of interest.

Not at all, it depends how you use the testing machines.

If you use them to catch the occasional Spaniard or Italian you make the sport look clean (or at least getting cleaner) in the eyes of people who care about that sort of thing (i.e. not the Spanish or Italian public).

If you also fail to find any evidence of cheating at the very top level of the sport - definitely no english speakers or northern europeans please! - you similarly create the illusion of cleanliness.

You need the right people doing the testing if you're going to keep this thing alive. "promoting the sport" is essentially a PR job, a tough one, and pretending to be the solution to the problem rather than another element of it is just good PR.

Slideshowbob

Lumen wrote: »

Can anyone explain the organisational responsibilities in cycling? e.g. UCI, WADA etc.

I don't understand why the UCI was buying blood testing machines, whilst at the same time being responsible for the promotion of the sport. Those two roles seem to create a huge conflict of interest.

Relax, you don't have to go off our blessed isle to see such conflicts:

Professional Institutions regulate entitlement to membership through qualifications yet it's in their interest to have as many members as possible.

To take another example the government licence nightclubs where drug trading may be going on, yet it's also in their interest to maximise tax income etc!?!

If the UCI had the health of riders as a paramount objective with promotion as a secondary priority it would be more fitting.

If done right - I couldn't see why the two remits couldn't fall under the UCI.

Anyway - when you say UCI "promotes" the sport!? they only really do a fraction of it like organise the Golden randonnee series and Pro Tour etc.

Look at the event organisers, bike and accessory manufacurers, race sponsors, even down to club promotion, if you added all that up the amount the UCI spend on promotion I am sure would pail into insignificance.

Heard some re-assuring words from someone the other day that Wiggins was clean anyway ...........

irishmotorist

Lumen wrote: »

Can anyone explain the organisational responsibilities in cycling? e.g. UCI, WADA etc.

I don't understand why the UCI was buying blood testing machines, whilst at the same time being responsible for the promotion of the sport. Those two roles seem to create a huge conflict of interest.

I never really thought about it too much before - the UCI is the organisation so therefore it's their business to keep it clean or invoke rules/policy/procedures how they see fit themselves.

However, it is a professional business and this is case of self-regulation - which obviously doesn't work too good.

Slideshowbob

Back to the word - promote

How many people started cycling / racing because of the UCI? Feck all id say.

However, how many started racing because the UCI facilitate a common framework of rules and regulations about racing - everyone !!

So i'd say facilitation is a better word

To just call them a business is a bit naive and simplistic.To be fair I dont see their website plastered with adverts.

From UCI site:

Mission Statement


The International Cycling Union (UCI) is cycling’s International Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The UCI administers and promotes the development of the eight disciplines of cycling.
The UCI’s mission is to develop and promote cycling, in close collaboration with National Federations.

I gather those who went to the bother of organising the first world championships did not have business in their hearts.

From UCI constitution:

Chapter IDENTITY - PURPOSES
Article 1

1. The International Cycling Union (UCI in abbreviation) is the association of national cycling federations.
2. The UCI is a non-governmental international association with a non-profit-making purpose of
international interest, having legal personality pursuant to Articles 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code.
3. The registered office of the UCI is in Switzerland, at the place fixed by the Management
Committee. Only the Congress has the right to transfer the registered office to another country.

Article 2

The purposes of the UCI are:
a) to direct, develop, regulate, control and discipline cycling under all forms worldwide;
b) to promote cycling in all the countries of the world and at all levels;
c) to organize, for all cycling sport disciplines, world championships of which it is the sole holder
and owner;
d) to encourage friendship between all members of the cycling world;
e) to promote sportsmanship and fair play;
f) to represent the sport of cycling and defend its interests before the International Olympic
Committee and all national and international authorities;
g) to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee, in particular as regards the participation

of cyclists in the Olympic Games.

Junior

Pat McQuaid, the cycling equivalent of Bertie Ahern.

mcgratheoin

Pat McQuaid wrote:

Obviously it'd be a worry if becomes a long drawn out investigation and then nothing happens. Look at the Balco investigation. That cost the US government 50 million dollars and what did it achieve at the end of the day?

:eek::eek: Yeah, that's the answer Pat. The Balco investigation was too expensive so Marion Jones should have been left with her medals and an untarnished reputation. Also it made the IAAF look bad and God forbid that would ever happen to the UCI who after all are making every effort to stamp out drugs in cycling :rolleyes:
-not that there are drugs in cycling anymore
-and by anymore, of course we don't accept that there was ever a real problem in the sport
-anyway, even if there were a few bad eggs in the peloton “Re-opening things from the past and spending a lot of time and a lot of money isn't the answer."

Right - just sweep it all under the carpet. Ignore the treatment of Bassons and Simeoni by "one of the greatest athletes in our sport" and pretend that it all never happened. FFS McQuaid, wake up, grow a spine and realise that you're only embarrassing yourself and the sport by coming out with announcements like this.