Pat McQuaid interview with Irish Independent

[Anonymous]

Pretty good interview. It at least doesn't shy away from mentioning teh circumstantial evidence against a certain Texan when McQuaid professes his admiration, and acknowledges that while McQuaid is proud of his "clean" 2009 Tour, there are many sceptics. Shame about McQuaid's continual French baiting though, and perpetuating the myth that the French are just "after" certain riders.

It also interestingly mentions that Sarkozy called him to discuss cycling's politics, which might give fuel to the AFLD-funding fire.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/still-covering-the-big-breaks-2083523.html

 

[python]

Interesting article and well written.

Patty is setting new lows in the bigotry department

"The French?" McQuaid muses, carefully choosing his words. "They're an unusual race let's say. When it comes to cycling, they think they own the sport. They have this thing that France is cycling, cycling is French."

and this is a plain lie…

"The only papers that were negative were the French," he said of Armstrong's return to race riding last year, "because they don't like him anyway."

and i don’t know how patty can talk about the biopassport ‘circumstantial evidence’ value

To date, 21 riders have been charged with doping offences through their biological passport.

… after this pearl

Though the weight of circumstantial evidence against the seven-time Tour winner is considerable and controversy stalks the Texan rider every step of his career, McQuaid believes in him and the value he brings to the sport.

and this one is just hilarious. totally ignores that the schleck sr. was searched by the french police for drugs and his older boy was connected with payment to Fuentes for ‘training’

He remembers Johnny Schlek, a former racer, approaching him in Madrid in 2005 and talking about his two sons, both promising riders. "'Pat', he said. 'Will I leave them in or take them out?' I said 'Johnny, leave them in. I'm going to clean it up'. He believed me. And maybe in time others who are looking on will do likewise."

 

[Ripper]

...

LMAO! Pat seems to hate the French. "Race" ... wow, there's a term you don't hear much these days. McSquid really does seem to be a pompous ass.

 

[bianchigirl]

McQuaid brings so much to the sport - venality, corruption, moral duplicity

 

[Anonymous]

The forums are full of hatred towards Pat...for good reason.

 

[ravens]

mindeffing boggling comments from an american's perspective

"The French?" McQuaid muses, carefully choosing his words. "They're an unusual race let's say. "

In America, this comment ALONE is a wall to wall dominant one week story until his pelt is firmly nailed to the wall. e.g. Don Imus

It's nice to know political correctness is not all-consuming in other countries. It's sad to see what it means in practice.

He is an easy target, and does nothing to make it any harder.

 

[MacRoadie]

It's nice to know political correctness is not all-consuming in other countries. It's sad to see what it means in practice.

He is an easy target, and does nothing to make it any harder.

It's apparently a very short road from Irish red-head to Irish red-neck...

 

[fatandfast]

McQuaid brings so much to the sport - venality, corruption, moral duplicity

+1. You left out he likes to skim from 273 federations rather than consolidate. That way there is a chance he would be found out. I would say divide and conquer is accomplished. Why graduate to a professional system. US Postal system will stop Saturday delivery. So you can teach a lumbering giant new tricks

 

[Oldman]

It's apparently a very short road from Irish red-head to Irish red-neck...

I've got several Irish buddies and they refer to us Yanks as a "race". They meant the same as People with no ill intent. I don't know what McQuaid means but he clearly isn't ready to speak on the international level. Now he's with the IOC they'll send him to charm school, no doubt.

 

[MacRoadie]

I've got several Irish buddies and they refer to us Yanks as a "race". They meant the same as People with no ill intent. I don't know what McQuaid means but he clearly isn't ready to speak on the international level. Now he's with the IOC they'll send him to charm school, no doubt.

I don't doubt for one minute that all of Paddy's comments towards the French are laced with ill intent.

 

[Ripper]

I don't doubt for one minute that all of Paddy's comments towards the French are laced with ill intent.

McSquid is a total douchebag. 100% effort on his behalf.

 

[rata de sentina]

"The French.....these pests of the human race" - Admiral Lord Nelson

 

[bobbins]

Pats brother has got himself a nice job with Oakley. I wonder how he managed that.....

 

[Hawkwood]

"The French.....these pests of the human race" - Admiral Lord Nelson

Did Nelson improve his power to weight ratio by losing an arm, and if so did he gain an unfair advantage?

 

[Anonymous]

French bashing

"The French.....these pests of the human race" - Admiral Lord Nelson

"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." General George S. Patton.

guess its not just Brits and potato eaters.

 

[workingclasshero]

Now he's with the IOC they'll send him to charm school, no doubt.

the people on the ioc have been to charm school? jesus, to think what samaranch et al was like before that

 

[Colm.Murphy]

It's apparently a very short road from Irish red-head to Irish red-neck...

easy there. cuimhneamh ar do manners

McQuaid's comments, while venile, are at least his honest words.

to pair this with his recent admittance to the IOC should serve notice that NOTHING in the sport of cycling will EVER change when a guy like Paddy is at the helm. nothing.

As a side comment on the IOC, and in light of the recent winter games, it should be clear to anyone who even casually follows sport, that for every tear shed by Rogge, every host city (and budget) left with an aching bum and a wad of cash on its proverbial nightstand, there are dozens of fellows like Paddy hastily submitting their "membership" applications and towns rounding the corner as if were "groupies" for the IOC's travelling roadshow. At least the IOC now provides the condoms.

 

[MacRoadie]

cuimhneamh ar do manners

Well, I certainly wasn't suggesting that Paddy speaks for ALL Irish. The comment related to McQuaid himself.

Slàinte mhòr agad!

 

[Mellow Velo]

I think we have finally found the real identity of our super troll and his many sockpuppets.

 

[Big GMaC]

I think we have finally found the real identity of our super troll and his many sockpuppets.

McQuaid? Na, to busy fapping over StrongArm's Chamois to have the time...

 

[unsheath]

So many holes, so little integrity... I found that interview extremely hard to digest.

 

[Colm.Murphy]

Well, I certainly wasn't suggesting that Paddy speaks for ALL Irish. The comment related to McQuaid himself.

Slàinte mhòr agad!

Ceart gu leòr. no problemo.

 

[MacRoadie]

Classic Paddy. When asked if Rock Racing was denied a license due to politics (and Rock's desire to hire Flandis), he responded thusly:

UCI President Pat McQuaid vigorously denied allegations that Rock Racing's license bid failed for political reasons. "I don't know the details but I would say that's pure bull****," McQuaid said. "I wasn't involved in the decision but that wouldn't be a reason. That's all bull****."

Let's hope that IOC etiquette course starts soon.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rock-racing-officially-denied-pro-license

 

[BikeCentric]

"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." General George S. Patton.

guess its not just Brits and potato eaters.

Not sure how much history you've read but Patton genuinely believed that he was some sort of eternal warrior spirit that had been reincarnated many times throughout human history. For example he stated that he faught and died with the Spartans at the gates of Thermopylae among other places and he was not kidding.

So keep in mind that Patton was a total nutjob although he was of course a very interesting nutjob (not to mention very skilled General) and I have read several biographies of him because of this.

Also Patton did not believe in the existance of PTSD or "combat fatigue", rather he simply labeled any soldier who was a bit shell-shocked as a coward. He once almost personally shot a soldier in a hospital during the Sicily campaign and was almost sent home by Eisenhauer because of this.

Sorry to go completely off-topic but I just wanted to illustrate the caution of cherry-picking Patton quotes because he was a very complex man who was partly batshi! crazy and partly supremely talented General.

 

[Oldman]

Not sure how much history you've read but Patton genuinely believed that he was some sort of eternal warrior spirit that had been reincarnated many times throughout human history. For example he stated that he faught and died with the Spartans at the gates of Thermopylae among other places and he was not kidding.

So keep in mind that Patton was a total nutjob although he was of course a very interesting nutjob (not to mention very skilled General) and I have read several biographies of him because of this.

Also Patton did not believe in the existance of PTSD or "combat fatigue", rather he simply labeled any soldier who was a bit shell-shocked as a coward. He once almost personally shot a soldier in a hospital during the Sicily campaign and was almost sent home by Eisenhauer because of this.

Sorry to go completely off-topic but I just wanted to illustrate the caution of cherry-picking Patton quotes because he was a very complex man who was partly batshi! crazy and partly supremely talented General.

With the exception of Napoleon there have been few, brilliant battlefield warriors that were given the reigns of a nation, fortunately. Shudder to think what the world would be like if Westmoreland had deeper and successful political aspirations.
But back to Pat McQuaid...he's not crazy. That makes it worse.