An open letter to UCI President Pat McQuaid..

[Dr. Maserati]

Dear Pat,

As the cycling community is quite small I have had the opportunity to meet with you over the years. I always admired your enthusiasm for the sport and your extensive knowledge of the sport in general.

Since the revelations made this week by Floyd Landis the sport of cycling and the UCI of which you are President has come under immense scrutiny. The accusations that a positive drug test by Lance Armstrong was ignored in return for a financial settlement is deeply disturbing and a serious charge against the UCI.

In a radio interview on Friday you mentioned that Lance Armstrong had ‘donated’ $100,000 in 2005. You repeated those comments again today at the Giro d'Italia.

It seriously harms the reputation of this great sport that there still remains major discrepancies in your version of events.

At the Play The Game conference in October 2007 you said the $100,000 ‘cash’ came in to our account "in actual fact, about 15 months ago". (Audio here- second clip)
This would be approximately July 2006 - which contradicts todays statements.

More alarmingly - July 2006 is only one month after the publication of the Vrijman report which cleared Mr Armstrong of facing sanction for having EPO in 6 urine samples that were retested in 2005.

With so many discrepancies I believe it is prudent that the UCI subject itself to a full independent financial audit.
I realise that this is a costly and time consuming process but it is one that the UCI must bare if it is to restore its faith in its members and the sporting community.

In a seperate interview today former UCI member Sylvia Schenk said "the UCI was always very proud of its accounts".
This should mean that the UCI should be able to immediately release details of the transaction, UCI booking and machine purchased, before an audit gets underway.

I also believe that you need to consider your position at this point.
In the interest of the sport of cycling, I respectfully suggest you stand down or stand aside while any investigation takes place – as I believe it would effect your ability to carry out the day to day duties of President.

If you feel that you should not stand down or stand aside then it is imperative that you clearly articulate the reasons for not doing so.

It is time to move along and begin the process of rebuilding the trust and credibility of this great sport.

 

[montel]

Very nice ideas, with a great suggestion for Mr. McQuaid to step down. However, I don't think he will do as you suggest.

We need an independent drug testing system, and we need a new UCI president, not to mention better IOC members.

I say we draft Greg LeMond to be UCI president (not that he would do it!).

 

[thehog]

3 You have made a -- a contribution or donation to the

4 UCI, have you not?

5 A. I have, yeah.

6 Q. Do you know when that was made?

7 A. Some years ago. I don't recall exactly.

8 Q. Well, 2000, for example?

9 A. I don't know.

10 Q. Was it -- was there anything that occasioned

11 that, that you recall? Like I'm doing it because of X

12 or Y or Z?

13 A. I'm doing it to -- to fund the fight against

14 doping.

15 Q. And what -- what made you -- what triggered

16 that? I mean, was there any particular event?

17 A. The only event, or the only idea is that I'm

18 in support of that fight, just like I've done on other

19 occasions.

20 Q. Why UCI? I mean, why give the money to UCI?

21 A. Because they're our governing body.

22 Q. Okay. How much did you give?

23 A. I think 25,000.

24 Q. You say you think. Do you --

25 A. Yeah, I say I think because I'm not 100


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1 percent sure.

2 Q. Would it be within a range of that, though,

3 if you're -- I mean, it wouldn't be like --

4 A. Well, it wouldn't be --

5 Q. -- 200,000 --

6 A. No.

7 Q. -- or 150,000?

8 A. No.

9 Q. I mean, it could be 30 or 40, or it could be

10 20, is what I'm asking.

11 A. It could be. I don't think it's that. But

12 I think it's no more than 30.

13 Q. Was it by personal check?

14 A. I don't remember.

15 Q. Did you tell UCI you were going to make it

16 before you did?

17 A. I don't recall, but I don't think so. I

18 don't know.

19 Q. You gave $25,000, or approximately $25,000

20 to the UCI, but you don't remember if you told them

21 beforehand that you were sending them a check?

22 A. I don't recall.

23 Q. Had you ever given any money to UCI before?

24 A. No.

25 Q. Have you ever given any money since?


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1 A. I have pledged money since, but I don't

2 think I've done it yet.

3 Q. When did you pledge money?

4 A. I don't remember. Between now and then.

5 Q. No. I meant when did you make the pledge?

6 A. Between now and then. I don't recall

7 exactly.

8 Q. Well --

9 MR. HERMAN: Between now and then,

10 meaning between the time you gave them the 25,000 --

11 THE WITNESS: Right.

12 MR. HERMAN: -- and now?

13 Q. (BY MR. TILLOTSON) Oh, okay. Between

14 now -- now and then, which I guess would be tomorrow.

15 Okay. So some --

16 A. It's still a fight I believe in --

17 Q. Okay. I'm not --

18 A. -- so I would still make the donation.

19 Q. I'm not attacking your -- the fight. I'm

20 asking you --

21 A. And if you have a different suggestion on

22 where to donate the money.

23 Q. Is there any other organization that -- that

24 is involved in anti-doping?

25 A. Well, you have a lot of organizations, WADA,


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1 USADA, USOC, USA Cycling. You could pick all of

2 those.

3 Q. So there were other -- I mean, there --

4 there are at least other organizations you could have

5 picked.

6 A. Yeah.

7 Q. Okay. Do you know what UCI did with the

8 money?

9 A. I don't know.

10 Q. Who did you give the money to?

11 A. Well, if you sent a check or a wire, I don't

12 know who received it, but...

13 Q. I mean, like -- is it literally like one day

14 the UCI guy comes in, opens up the mail, and there's a

15 check from you for $25,000?

16 A. I mean, I don't know. I wasn't in the mail

17 room.

18 Q. Okay. But did you let anyone know this is

19 coming?

20 A. I told you, I don't remember.

21 Q. Okay. Have you spoken to anyone at UCI

22 regarding your donation?

23 A. Yeah.

24 Q. Who?

25 A. I have spoken to Alain Rumpf, Hein


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1 Verbruggen, perhaps others.

2 Q. Do you know what they've done with the

3 money?

4 A. I just told you, I don't know.

5 Q. Okay. Like they didn't buy some specific

6 equipment or something with it that you're aware of?

7 It wasn't earmarked --

8 A. Which part of I don't know do you not

9 understand?

10 Q. So you have no idea why you gave $25,000 to

11 UCI at all. And you don't even know if you called

12 anyone before --

13 A. I don't know.

14 Q. Let me finish my question.

15 MR. HERMAN: Hang on. Hang on a

16 second. Finish your question, if it is a question.

17 Q. (BY MR. TILLOTSON) You have no idea who you

18 called, and just -- you just sent a check for $25,000

19 to the UCI. You can't remember why you did it, or who

20 you talked to, or what it was for.

21 A. You asked me again what have they done with

22 the money, and I said I don't know.

23 Q. Okay. But you've spoken to two people.

24 Have they discussed with you what they plan on doing

25 with the funds in any way, or what they hope to do


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1 with the funds?

2 A. Not that I recall.

3 Q. When did you -- did you ever tell the public

4 that you had made that donation?

5 A. Hein Verbruggen told them at some point, and

6 I confirmed that.

7 Q. Was there a reason why you didn't publicly

8 announce your donation to UCI?

9 A. The same reason that I don't -- my fight

10 against doping is not a public fight. So the same

11 reason that before the 2003 Tour de France, which was

12 fairly well publicized, I sent a private email to

13 Mr. Verbruggen, Mr. Schattenberg, Mr. LeBlanc, Daniel

14 Baal, everybody involved in the Tour and cycling, and

15 said, we have to keep up this fight, which then became

16 public, a public email after Daniel Baal put it in his

17 book.

18 Personally -- now, this is going --

19 this is going to shock you, but my style is different

20 than David Walsh's. My approach has been more of an

21 internal one, to support clean racing, to support

22 clean sport. My idea of the best tactic is not to

23 slander and defame everybody, and bite the hand that

24 feeds you, and **** in the soup; but my fight and my

25 commitment has always been there.


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1 Q. Were you concerned at all when you made your

2 contribution to the UCI that other cyclists or members

3 of the cycling public might take it the wrong way?

4 A. No.

5 Q. Are you aware of any other professional

6 cyclists who's given money to UCI?

7 A. I don't know. I'm not aware. Personally, I

8 think there should be -- I think everybody should

9 contribute to the fund.

10 Q. How does UCI get its money? Do you know?

11 A. I have no idea.

12 Q. Okay.

13 A. Honestly, I don't know.

14 Q. That part of "I don't know" I understood.

15 Believe me.

 

[Steampunk]

Well put.

The less tactful part of me would also add: In what universe are donations from a current or recent competitor ever a good idea? Frankly, this is the kind of activity that brings governments down.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Very nice ideas, with a great suggestion for Mr. McQuaid to step down. However, I don't think he will do as you suggest.

We need an independent drug testing system, and we need a new UCI president, not to mention better IOC members.

I say we draft Greg LeMond to be UCI president (not that he would do it!).

I don't think Greg would get elected as the UCI is a democracy - if Hein likes you he flies you around the world endorses you candidacy and then you win.

You do realize that Mr McQuaid also holds a position on the IOC? Which is strange as he is banned from ever competing in the Olympics.

 

[User Guide]

show us the money

Verbiggen says $25,000
Armstrong says under $30,000
Mcquaid says $100,000
Sylvia Slenk says $500,000

I wish i had so much money i couldnt tell the difference between donating/receiving $25k,$100k and $500k..unless they all having incredibly bad accountants

 

[ruamruam]

Sean Kelly and McQuaid went incognito to South Africa during the apartheid era and raced under assumed names. South Africa was quite rightly banned from the olympics because of it's racist policies

 

[Dr. Maserati]

@ Hog - great post. Also from the same SCA case here is what Bill Stapelton said:

He -- yes, he gave a donation
to the UCI three or four years
ago. I think he's done that
maybe once or twice, with a -
- with a request to refine the --
I believe -- we'd need to look
at the letter, but I believe it
was to further do research
into the EPO test.
Bill Stapelton - Armstrongs Manager & Lawyer
Sworn deposition - September 2005

 

[Ninety5rpm]

3 You have made a -- a contribution...

15 Believe me.

Is there a link to this?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Mr. McQuaid, this gentleman would like a few moments of your time. As soon as he's finished with Armstrong.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I hope International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge holds the same standard for Pat McQuaid as he does in his comments last Friday about Floyd.

"He has to bring proof that this is true," International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told AP. "These are accusations that need to be corroborated by proof. You can't condemn without proof," Rogge added. "He would be better off by giving evidence to corroborate that, otherwise he is risking a lot of libels .... You can only sanction an athlete with tangible proof."

Remember what Verbruggen said in 2005 when he confirmed that Lance had given a donation:

...also taking offense to any suggestion that the UCI would turn a blind eye if Armstrong ever tested positive. When a journalist asked him about this yesterday, Verbruggen told AD that he responded, "'Get the hell out of here, idiot!', I told him. Luckily I could restrain myself a bit, otherwise I would really let fly. I'm not good with such people. This initiative deserves nothing but praise and respect'.

 

[BroDeal]

In summation:

He does not know how much money he gave.
He does not know when he gave the money.
He does not know what the money was used for.
He does not know who he gave the money to.
He does not know how he paid.
He does not know who suggested giving the money.
He does not know if he gave more money afterward.

His deposition also contradicts the story that McQuaid is attemmpting to sell right now.

BTW. The deposition excerpt would be a good addition to the links thread.

 

[theswordsman]

Pat McQuaid isn't on twitter, but there's an account for @UCI_Cycling and you may have seen the name @alainrumpf . I sent them both polite (for me) reminders that cycling fans want them to grant permission to the AFLD for additional testing before and during the Tour de France, as well as timely information from the whereabouts system. Twitter could be a way to penetrate into the ivory tower, but please keep it respectful.

 

[thehog]

Point to note is the change in the UCI. 5 days ago they were saying. Nothing happened. No investigation etc etc etc. Now they are releasing statements on the hour. What’s changed? More to the point – What’s’ coming?

 

[2beacoup]

I also had the idea of an open letter to the UCI. But since I'm no native English speaker, I'm not able to articulate it like you did Dr. M.

What about an online petition that cycling fans around the world can sign? I know a lot people here in Germany who feel fooled after they woke up from their Jan-dream and who believe in an alternative way for professional cycling.

Where can I sign? Real cycling fans unite!

 

[petesam]

i'll sign.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

great letter I'll sign too

 

[python]

Point to note is the change in the UCI. 5 days ago they were saying. Nothing happened. No investigation etc etc etc. Now they are releasing statements on the hour. What’s changed? More to the point – What’s’ coming?

vrijman 2.0

im amazed at how landis (and many more) have underestimated the perfectly predictable yet fierce unanimous and indignant reaction from all these regulating bodies.

sure they'll put aside their past and unite to protects 'the system's good image'.

that's why i started the thread concerning the quality of people advising landis.

why would a 'positive' appear in any records if it was never officially declared a 'positive'.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Of course it won't appear in records, the only real solution to the Tour de Suisee situation is a retest of the samples, if they even exist.

I'm not surprised at all by the UCI's reaction. Hein must go, so must Pat.

Yes, someone like LeMond should run the UCI, but that won't happen. Hein and all around him would fear that, and Greg wouldn't do it. But it would sure clean things up.

I just wish Sylvia got the job when she was looking for it.

 

[Hugh Januss]

In summation:

He does not know how much money he gave.
He does not know when he gave the money.
He does not know what the money was used for.
He does not know who he gave the money to.
He does not know how he paid.
He does not know who suggested giving the money.
He does not know if he gave more money afterward.

His deposition also contradicts the story that McQuaid is attemmpting to sell right now.

BTW. The deposition excerpt would be a good addition to the links thread.

It is possible that the differing amounts and times are more parallel than contradictory. Perhaps different amounts were given at different times and the various people involved are speaking of different events.

 

[bianchigirl]

McQuaid back pedalled so fast today at the Giro I'm surprised he didn't end up in Ireland - he has already ordered investigations into Bruyneel and White etc (interesting that he'' throw Bruyneel under the bus, then?)? They can prove there were no positives at TdS (which proves what, exactly - Rebellin was caught on camera doping in the Giro in 2001 but was clean at TdS a few weeks later? Right and there goes a pretty flying pig)? He's spinning around so fast he should be wearing gold hotpants (sorry for visiting that image on y'all )

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

McQuaid back pedalled so fast today at the Giro I'm surprised he didn't end up in Ireland - he has already ordered investigations into Bruyneel and White etc (interesting that he'' throw Bruyneel under the bus, then?)? They can prove there were no positives at TdS (which proves what, exactly - Rebellin was caught on camera doping in the Giro in 2001 but was clean at TdS a few weeks later? Right and there goes a pretty flying pig)? He's spinning around so fast he should be wearing gold hotpants (sorry for visiting that image on y'all )

UCI investigation into Bruyneel? Great. That's right up there with BP's internal investigation into the Gulf oil spill.

UCI will clear Bruyneel in a moment. Hopefully Novitsky will be cracking some heads soon.

 

[VeloCity]

More alarmingly - July 2006 is only one month after the publication of the Vrijman report which cleared Mr Armstrong of facing sanction for having EPO in 6 urine samples that were retested in 2005.

If that is accurate, that is very interesting timing indeed.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

I support all the requests and recommendations in "Dr Maserati's" letter.

Name also with cycling news.

 

[MacRoadie]

He's spinning around so fast he should be wearing gold hotpants

Pat McQuaid out on the town...