Tom English: Cycling chiefs are shamefully neglecting duties

IN last weekend’s Scotland on Sunday, the former cyclist Tyler Hamilton spoke of the culture of doping in his sport, how it happened, where it happened and why it was allowed to happen by a governing body turning the other way and not wanting to know about the poison in their midst.

Hamilton owned up to his own wretched history of 
doping and called on the UCI and its president, Pat McQuaid, to accept a share of the blame. Of course, McQuaid, the 
Ostrich Man of cycling, has failed to raise his head from the sand on any of this.

Hamilton issued an invite to McQuaid. The rider would fly to UCI headquarters in Switzerland and explain how doping became pervasive, but McQuaid has not been in touch. Hamilton believes that McQuaid should either examine what went wrong or get out of the game for good. The other day, another former professional rider, Scott Mercier, lambasted the UCI for continuing to ignore the truth of what went on.

Mercier, who used to ride for US Postal, said: “The world has come to accept that cycling has had a dark history with respect to doping but the UCI refused to acknowledge any responsibility. It is shameful that the UCI has not led the effort to find the truth. Pat 
McQuaid, in particular, seems to get more desperate with every word he utters.” Mercier went on: “Cycling has reached a tipping point. It is either going to be honest and open regarding its sordid history of doping – and then thrive – or it will continue to deny and distract. The time has come for the doors of secrecy to be kicked open. It’s time for a revolution and the overthrow of the tyrannical leadership of McQuaid and [Hein] Verbruggen [former UCI president]. I urge the board members of the UCI to take control of the sport and start with a clean slate. It is the only way cycling can truly grow 
globally.”

McQuaid, meanwhile, carries on with legal action against the anti-doping journalist, Paul Kimmage, while ignoring testimony after testimony from former riders, all of whom have explained in graphic detail the sick culture that McQuaid, Verbruggen and their ilk did nothing to investigate.

And still they do nothing.