Cycling's world governing body accused of deceit in Lance Armstrong scandal

CYCLING'S world governing body has been accused of "deceit" after disbanding its independent commission into the Lance Armstrong drugs scandal.

THE World Anti-Doping Agency has accused cycling's world governing body of "deceit" after its decision to disband its independent commission into the Lance Armstrong drugs scandal.

WADA's damning criticism of the International Cycling Union came as the independent commission itself issued a statement saying a lack of co-operation by the UCI and other interested parties had made its work "impossible".

UCI president Pat McQuaid announced the closure of the independent commission after protracted argument about its powers and whether witnesses would be granted an amnesty protecting them from subsequent disciplinary action.

The commission had been created in response to allegations by the United States Anti-Doping Agency - whose inquiry led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles - that cycling officials had been complicit in the American's cheating.

Irishman McQuaid, UCI president since 2005, said the commission was being scrapped in favour of a "truth and reconciliation process", which had the support of WADA.

However, WADA president John Fahey denied this, accusing the UCI of ignoring its responsibilities and being "determined to apparently deflect responsibility for the doping problem in its sport to others".

Fahey added: "UCI has publicly announced that WADA has agreed to work with it on some form of truth and reconciliation. This is not only wrong in content and process, but again deceitful.

"WADA has not and will not consider partaking in any venture with UCI while this unilateral and arrogant attitude continues."

Meanwhile a commission statement put pressure on McQuaid by saying: "Pat McQuaid stated that the UCI 'will co-operate fully with the commission' ... and urged all other interested stakeholders to do the same.

"Neither the UCI nor interested stakeholders have provided sufficient co-operation to enable the commission to do its job.

"This failure to co-operate makes our task impossible."

Change Cycling Now, a pressure group set up in November, responded by calling for McQuaid and his senior colleagues to be sacked, saying that in closing the commission the UCI were guilty of a "rank and disgraceful manipulation of power" and "concerned only with self-preservation".