Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis are "scumbags" says UCI president

A 125,000.00 "gift" for a "suspicious" test result. We all know it takes 250,000.00 to erase a "positive" test. Zero credibility at UCI. Time to break away from the UCI and start a new governing body. The riders have the ball in their court right now. Simply refuse to participate in any UCI sanctioned events until a major overhaul takes place or form a new one on their own. Professional cycling may well disappear without drastic changes. Major sponsors will not put their reputation on line or risk losing money if this does not happen.

disgraced and banned former rider Pat McQuaid said

Quote:

What good is he doing the sport? He’s on a personal mission to make money for himself

I take it he's talking about himself here?

This may not be what everyone would like to see but this is what I expect to happen now.

1) McQuaid won't quit, he'll see out the rest of his term (until next year) because he knows he can't be ousted and then he'll step aside

2) He'll leave on his own terms and try to build a legacy based on anti-doping, namely taking credit for the blood passport and being in charge when Armstrong was banned

3) He will pick a successor much as Verbruggen did in picking McQuaid and hand over the reigns of the UCI to someone who is pretty much a McQuaid clone.

4) Things won't change.

The main points though are 3 and 4. Whoever takes over from McQuaid whether he quits, is forced out or leaves of his own accord, will basically be someone who is working closely with McQuaid now meaning they're basically another McQuaid with a different suit.

There needs to be huge change in how cycling is governed but that goes way deeper than McQuaid and the head of the UCI. The only things that can get close to shaking up the UCI to the required extent are either

a) Cycling is banned from the Olympics (or the IOC threaten a ban) until the UCI puts it's house in order, that'll mean every national federation up in arms and descending on the UCI to complain or

b) A huge corruption scandal (that isn't just accusations about covered up doping). This is just as unlikely because there just isn't enough money in cycling to cause the same level of corruption as the IOC and FIFA have suffered. Unless someone digs out evidence that Qatar bought the World Champs and paid McQuaid a load of money then I can't see there being anything widespread. Like McQuaid has said, the UCI doesn't have the same financial clout as FIFA and they don't make any money out of the big races in the same way that FIFA and the IOC cash in on the world cup and olympics.

The only smoking gun which could exist and turn this all on it's head is if someone can prove that the UCI took money to cover up a positive test. Seeing as nobody has been able to do that yet even though the USADA has been investigating for years I can't see that happening unfortunately.

Seeing as how many financial transactions and bank statements have been produced alluding to transactions that those involved would prefer remained hidden (and thus were using the 'secret' bank accounts etc), it does seem odd that the payoff to the UCI has not been proved. Unless I'm mistaken?

It’s not the president’s responsibility if they go into a doping programme," said McQuaid.

So who's responsibility is it then?

Those guys are a couple of bitches... Anyone who cheats, gets caught, then cries about it on tv and in a book, while calling out their teammates and peers is a rat fink bastard and should be strung up by their balls. Who do they think they are? Profiting off dragging people through the mud is bullshit. I really hope the next guy that gets caught, mans up and says "fuck you, I know what I was doing and why and I don't regret it... I took a chance and failed. next..."

Please leave cycling alone Mr McQuaid, and take your cronies with you.

Almost unbelievable brass balls from McQuaid. Clearly he knows his number will soon be up, so he's going in guns blazing.

Neither Hamilton or Landis are 'scumbags' and it's disgracefully unprofessional of him to call them that (even if they were. Incidentally, if either of them want to write a book, and a publisher wants to publish it, and people want to buy it, all parties are free to do so. I'd've though McQuaid would appreciate that - after all, we know how much he loves the green stuff).

He should go. But he won't. Another example of a useless and suspicious dickhead at the top of a professional sport, clinging on for dear life.

The Sepp Blatter of cycling.

Scumbag.

Another pointless and tacky comment from President Pat - he does so much for the gravitas and dignity of the position he hold!.

Memo to all: In future references to Pat McQuaid please insert the words "disgraced and banned former rider..." just in case anyone forgets what we're dealing with here.

Armstrong, Hamilton and Landis doped themselves and some others to win a sports event against people who were mostly doping. They're not nice but in the grand scheme of things...

McQuaid on the other hand knowingly, willingly and with forethought took part in supporting an abhorrent, racist state which oppressed millions and imprisoned, tortured and killed thousands. He did it for money and he lied about it.

So who is the real scumbag ?

I'm "defending" Landis and Hamilton slightly and from particular bits of this only. They're both perfectly well aware that they cheated and that it was a bad thing to do. It's taken them a while to get to that point and achieve a degree of grace about it. But I'm fairly content to forgive repentant sinners quite a lot.

Also, quite a lot of people were "damaging the sport". Landis, Hamilton and everyone were busily damaging it by cheating. But ultimately damaging the sport by pointing out how rotten it was just needed to happen. Not going to criticise anyone for that. Hincapie and people never got popped, and confessed in their own time. It seems unfair to hold too much against some jackass whose career is imploding for flailing around a bit trying to make everyone believe he was still a hero. It's not like we believed them...

Finally, Armstrong made a lot of money from writing books about how awesome he is and how he never ever cheated. They were part of the problem. I don't begrudge Hamilton a bit of money for a book about what a massive, lying douche he was. It just might be part of the solution, although he'd be well-advised not to sound too smug about it.

Not sure why most people are defending Landis and Hamilton, they are scumbags, and big Pats quote was a) funny, b) true and c) the best thing he has ever said! Landis and Hamilton are only slightly smaller fish than Armstrong, they were team leaders, tour and Olympic champions, it’s not like they were no-one’s which should be congratulated on helping bring down Armstrong. There is defo something morally wrong with those clowns making $$$ from selling the story of their wrongdoings, how they helped destroy the sport we love, it’s like a criminal making cash from selling their story.

Quote:

"Another thing that annoys me is that Landis and Hamilton are being made out to be heroes. They are as far from heroes as night and day. They are not heroes. They are scumbags. All they have done is damage to the sport.”

This sort of response is typical of many people in positions of power. Landis and Hamilton are whistleblowers and as such should be supported for their actions. Heroes is not how I'd describe them as there are many reasons other than doing the right thing for blowing the whistle. That said, without them Armstrong would never have been caught and Cycling would not be able to move on.
I am sure there are a few more cases to be revealed but I only hope we've seen an end to the serious damage these cheats have done to a great sport that we all love.

My generation, who grew up admiring the likes of Eddie Merckx, et Al, will never look at cycling in the same way ever again which is very very sad indeed. Armstrong is just the last big name in a list that should probably include most TdF winners going back many decades. I don't include Contador as I do believe him and watching his performance in the Vuelta I believe I am right to do so. It may be my resistance to be totally forlorn about the sport but I just can't go that far and still support it. I still believe he was right to be banned though I believe his case highlights the UCI's complicity in the whole drugs issue when they gave him ban that still allowed him to race in his home stage race. Bans should start from the time all appeals have ended and not be back dated to the start of a suspension.

Sadly, the taint of drugs will fall on everyone in the sport, especially those who excel beyond belief and that is terribly unfair.

McQuaide is severly discredited and needs to hand over to someone with a proven clean record and who can be trusted by sponsors and competitors alike.

If the UCI had successfully fostered a culture in which people who hadn't been busted for drugs blew the whistle, confident they would be supported then I'd have some sympathy for sounding off about the failings of people who only came clean when they were busted.

His statements basically sound like a defence of omerta. Plenty of people will come out with that line. I don't need any of them to be running the UCI.

I would have bet money on Hein being expected to fall on his sword over this one. Instead Pat lays the blame for cycling's poor image squarely where it belongs. Obviously Landis and Hamilton were never taught the two most important things in life;
"Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut"
Jimmy Conway, Goodfellas.

Dear Road.cc, please, please, please could you fix it for me to... No, I'll start again. Please could you stop using such high quality photographs of Pat McQuaid to head these UCI stories? I clicked on the link to this one, saw the picture, and did this (no, that scene was not immediately following the Armstrong cameo.) Perhaps you could find an archive shot of him in the middle distance, or perhaps with a bag over his head?

Come in McQuaid, your time is up!

His overconfident slightly bullyboy attitude is almost reminiscent of Armstrong himself, carrying on regardless and trying to bluster it out.

Armstrong's problem is that, unlike Hamilton, Landis, etc, even if he does now fess up, everybody already knows now, so it's a meaningless gesture.

I wonder if McQuaid will have the wisdom and the dignity to show some remorse about the conduct of the UCI while it still counts for something? Doesn't look like it...

Even if the most sensible approach for the UCI and cycling was for McQuaid to tough it out, he is going about it in a spectacularly incompletent way. The last thing he should be doing is highlight his opposition to the people who dragged the truth into the light. Even if he thinks it, he should have the gravitas to hide his thoughts.

The man is not fit to be the leader of a kindergarten, let alone a major governing body.

To quote the late Mike Reid:
"oh Pat - what have you done?"

Bye Pat.

McQuaid is such a plonker! He should be embarsessed by more than half the things he comes out with! The bloke is supposed to be a representative of the sport to the world which he fails miserably at! He should be spouting words of positivity and how to move forward and learn from the past!
But all he's bothered about is bad mouthing anyone thats said a bad word about the UCI or anyone that spoke out about doping in the past!
He's like a spoilt child whos had his dummy taken away!
Grow-Up Man for christs sake!

He is quite quickly turning himself into a laughing stock. He has no idea what he is doing or how to get himself out of it, it's great reading and within 6 months he wont be in charge.

The rest of the UCI will start to feel the pressure building and as captain of the ship he will go down.