The UCI has responded to recent claims made against it by Floyd Landis, using an editorial in its online magazine to hit back at his assertion that the governing body shields certain preferred riders.
While the American rider is not named, it is clear from the context that it is referring to him.
“According to a certain person who has a tendency to throw around serious accusations without the slightest evidence to back them up, the UCI protects certain riders from the risk of failing a doping test,” the editorial stated. “Given the impressive progress that has been made in anti-doping programmes and, sadly, the ever-higher number of proceedings we have had to initiate in recent years against some of our sport’s biggest stars, it would be very interesting to know the names of these privileged riders who have enjoyed such favourable treatment.”
Just over two weeks ago, Landis gave an interview to the German TV station ARD. He claimed the reason why the US Postal Service team never encountered problems was that things were covered up and its riders were shielded.
“In the peloton, everyone knows that Pat McQuaid, Hein Verbruggen and other leaders of the UCI protected some riders and not others during the past 20 years. It was their way of manipulating and creating stars,” he alleged.
The UCI continues to knock Landis’ character, portraying him as a liar fabricating stories in order to damage the sport.
“For the time being we must simply look at the source of these insinuations, which seriously tarnish the image of our sport and its leaders: this is a person who lacks all credibility and has no sense of responsibility, who believes he now has free rein, having abused the system himself, having lied to all of us and all of you,” the editorial continues.
“Today, as the UCI awaits the Spanish Federation’s conclusions regarding the Contador case, his theory seems all the more absurd. The consistency, rigour and serenity that governed the inquiry, conducted in close cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency, into the abnormal test results of the triple Tour de France winner, should offer the most telling guarantee of our commitment to eradicate doping, regardless of the low levels of product detected, regardless of all the possible justifications, regardless of the rider’s impressive record, and regardless of the additional negative consequences for cycling. And even in spite of the slanderous accusations and a habit of being economical with the truth,” it concluded.
Landis’ claims against the US Postal Services team and others were made earlier this year, and circulated to the UCI, USA Cycling, USADA and others via email. Those claims ramped up a federal investigation into the US Postal Services squad, an inquiry which reportedly is making progress in building a case.
The outcome of that inquiry will determine if Landis is, as the UCI alleges, a liar out to damage the sport, or if he was indeed telling the truth about the team and other issues.