McQuaid has no place in cycling, says Hamilton

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Tyler Hamilton has responded to Pat McQuaid’s assertion that he and Floyd Landis were “scumbags” by saying that the current holder of the UCI presidency has no place in cycling.

McQuaid made his comment following a press conference in Aigle on Monday in which he announced that the UCI had accepted USADA’s decision to strip Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles.

Hamilton and Landis were among the 26 individuals who testified to USADA about the systematic doping programme in place at the US Postal Service team, but McQuaid said that the pair should not be hailed as heroes given that they had contested positive tests during their own careers.

“Pat McQuaid's comments expose the hypocrisy of his leadership and demonstrate why he is incapable of any meaningful change," Hamilton said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“Instead of siezing an opportunity to instil hope for the next generation of cyclists, he continues to point fingers, shift blame and attack those who speak out, tactics that are no longer effective. Pat McQuaid has no place in cycling."

Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of his main press conference, McQuaid had also queried Hamilton’s motivation for writing his book The Secret Race, in which he details the doping programme in place at US Postal Service.

“I do want people coming clean but in the way that he’s done it, he’s on a personal mission to make money for himself. And it’s not objective,” McQuaid said on Monday.

As well as an account of his doping at US Postal, Hamilton’s book also includes serious accusations about the role Bjarne Riis played in facilitating blood doping as manager of CSC.

Speaking to Irish radio station RTE on Tuesday, however, McQuaid reiterated his defence of Riis’ continued activity in the sport in spite of his admission of doping as a rider. McQuaid went on to praise Riis' stance on doping as a manager, comparing him to Garmin-Sharp manager and former US Postal rider Jonathan Vaughters, who also testified to USADA.

“Bjarne Riis is a bit like Jonathan Vaughters, he’s working very hard to ensure that cycling today is doping free,” McQuaid said.