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Pound on the Tour de France: I don't believe what I see

By Cycling News

published 5 August 2013

Former WADA chief says UCI is "in denial"

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Former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency Dick Pound(Image credit: AFP)

The 2013 Tour de France peloton enjoys the view (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

UCI President Pat McQuaid at the UCI headquarters in Aigle(Image credit: AFP)

Dick Pound, the former boss of the World Anti-Doping Agency has continued to voice his doubt over the amount of clean riders in the peloton in the wake of a report he co-authored on the ineffectiveness of the current anti-doping programs in various sports around the world.

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In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Pound made comments which fly in the face of statements made last week by UCI President Pat McQuaid where the Irishman said that "I'm the beginning of the new guard because I'm the one who has completely changed the culture of doping in our sport since I came in eight years ago."

According to Pound, cycling joins a number of sports which are governed by people unwilling to acknowledge the truth about the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"This isn't people ranked at No 300 taking drugs to boost them up the rankings, it's the people at the top who have used drugs to get there," the 71-year-old Canadian lawyer said. "I believe it's happening across sports. It's clear that cycling, athletics, swimming, tennis and soccer have major problems and are ruled by governing bodies in denial."

The report ranked cycling sixth on the list of sports that record the most positive tests, where of 20,624 samples 270 (or 1.31%) returned a positive test. Weightlifting topped the list with 2.91%, followed by boxing, equestrian, rugby and curling.

Pound, who has previously questioned the UCI’s claim that the organisation was unaware of doping in the peloton, said that he does not believe cycling has changed since the Armstrong era and refuses to watch the Tour de France.

"As an event, I don't believe what I see," Pound explained. "We've been there, done that and until there's a change of attitude at the very top [in the UCI] then I won't watch it."