CPA reacts to De Cruz's comments

The Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) met last Friday, June 15, and, subsequently, it released a newsletter of its meeting. In the letter, it responded to Frenchman Carlos Da Cruz's critical comments regarding the CPA's function and its president, Francesco Moser.

Moser "has never been elected by us. He has been appointed by the UCI and he made comments for legalizing doping! It's a shame. Now we have representatives but I spoke with some of them and they told me that nothing happens at the CPA," noted the Française Des Jeux rider to Cyclingnews in late February.

The arguments came to a head this spring as the Paris-Nice approached, a race held by Tour de France organizers ASO. A fall-out amongst the UCI and the Grand Tour organizers (specifically the ASO) led to the UCI attempting to prohibit ProTour teams from competing in the Paris-Nice.

"CPA firmly rejects his insinuations about the fact that we depend on the UCI, and want to reiterate that President Francesco Moser was democratically elected by the riders [in 1999]," stated the CPA. Jens Voigt (Team CSC) and José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel) lead the 15-member (UCIPT) rider's council within the CPA.

"The CPA wishes that in the future Carlos Da Cruz express his own and legitimate opinions ... by taking part in the meetings organized during the season or by forwarding us his thoughts in writing." The French representative is Cédric Vasseur (Quickstep-Innergetic).