Ireland's Pat McQuaid was logically very happy after being elected president of the UCI this morning. McQuaid has had a couple of tense months after his position in the UCI was questioned by UCI management committee member Sylvia Schenk, among others, on ethical grounds. "It's a wonderful moment for me," were McQuaid's first words as UCI president at the end of the UCI congress. "I want to thank the voters who voted for me and also my family that is here. Now we have a commitment with the cycling in general." McQuaid won with 31 votes to 11 votes from the 42 voting delegates over Spain's Gregorio Moreno.
McQuaid paid tribute to former president Hein Verbruggen: "He was the eighth president of this federation and he will be remembered as the greatest president we had had. This wonderful building that is cycling these days was built by Verbruggen. He did a tremendous job for our sport. We indeed owe him a lot". McQuaid proposed that the Dutchman be given the title of honorary president of the UCI, and there is little doubt that Verbruggen will remain an active member of the organisation, despite his commitments in the IOC.
About his defeated rival in the election, Spaniard Gregorio Moreno, McQuaid said, "I look forward to discussing the future of cycling with him." And to Malaysian Darsan Singh Gill, who retired before the election, McQuaid added, "I wish all the best to him outside cycling."
McQuaid's big task now is to smooth out the ongoing problems between the Grand Tour organisers and the UCI with regards to the ProTour, and will be his first serious test as president.
After the Irishman's speech, it was turn of Verbruggen, who said that he will keep a great memory of his time as the president of the UCI. "I started as UCI president in 1991 and I think I gave a lot," said Verbruggen. "We had difficult times: the first [1992] year was difficult, and also six years later with the doping affair in the Tour de France. Now we have problems with the ProTour. But there is the willingness to sort things out". He also thanked all the UCI management committee members for their support.
Cyclingnews coverage of the UCI elections
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