McQuaid on Pevenage, Hamilton, testing

Could the UCI take action against Rudy Pevenage, Jan Ullrich's mentor, whose name has figured prominently in the Operation Puerto papers? UCI president Pat McQuaid does not rule it out. "If we have evidence that a manager is an accomplice, or even the initiator, then he should be punished," McQuaid told German Welt magazine. "And this applies to anyone on a team, if it can be proved that he is involved in doping. If it turns out to be true that Mr. Pevenage is actively involved in the case, then we can say: He shouldn't be allowed to work in cycling any more."

McQuaid also said that there will be further procedures against Tyler Hamilton. "With the new information that we have received, we will definitely open a a new disciplinary hearing against him. If it can be established without a bit of doubt, then it will be considered a new, independent doping case, under our rules. That would be his second and would entail a life ban."

In addition, he rejected criticism from WADA President Pound that taking blood tests in the morning allowed riders time to use doping products before the actual race start. "The blood levels are most representative in the morning," he said. "We test four or five teams, about 40 riders. Does Mr. Pound expect us to appoint someone to watch over all of those riders from seven in the morning to the start at 11? Who will organise that, who will pay for it? What do we do with the other 160 riders? When an athlete wants to, he will find a few seconds to dope. We can't be big brother and constantly watch the athletes."