UCI President wants apology over claims that governing body leaked Rasmussen information.
By Shane Stokes
Following criticism of the UCI by ASO chief Patrice Clerc and Tour de France organiser Christian Prudhomme over the release of information concerning race leader Michael Rasmussen, UCI president Pat McQuaid has strongly rejected what he said were improper and inaccurate insinuations against the governing body.
Speaking on French television on Friday, ASO Chief Patrice Clerc had expanded on earlier statements made by Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme questioning the timing of the news about Michael Rasmussen's missed anti-doping tests and the rider's resulting exclusion from the Danish world championship and Olympic squads.
After months of tension between the company and the UCI over the ProTour, Clerc directly accused the governing body on Friday evening of being involved in disclosure of this information, suggesting that there could be an ulterior motive. "I have to ask certain questions about the UCI and their timing," he said. "Why are they bringing this up now when they had the information last month?"
UCI president Pat McQuaid has reacted angrily to this, rejecting suggestions that the UCI were involved in the release of such information while Rasmussen was in yellow. He said that he is demanding an apology from ASO over these suggestions plus a heated phone call made to him by Prudhomme on Thursday night.
