UCI president angry with Alberto Contador but says that cycling is the cleanest sport and is bigger than American seven-time Tour winner

Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), has claimed once again that cycling is now cleaner than ever before, and is actually the cleanest of all sports. In an interview with Le Parisien, the Irishman declared that he was “angry” with Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who tested positive for trace amounts of clenbuterol during the race; he also declared that cycling would survive the allegations made against seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong in this week’s edition of US magazine Sports Illustrated.



“I don’t want to talk about the case before has been resolved,” said McQuaid, “but of course the fact that we have found clenbuterol [in Contador’s samples] puts a dark shadow over last year’s Tour de France.



“Guilty or not, Contador has done us a lot of harm.”



He also commented on his own assertion, made earlier this month, that the Spaniard could miss this year’s Tour. “That was pragmatism,” he explained. “It there is no resolution before the month of March then it will be too late for him to prepare for the Tour de France.



“We’re waiting,” he added, “we want it to be over as quickly as possible.”



With the number one story in cycling right now being the allegations made against seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong in Sports Illustrated, MacQuaid was naturally asked to comment. Unsurprisingly, the Irishman did not comment on the specific allegations, but seemed to distance himself from the rider with whom he has enjoyed a close relationship in the past.



“I work in cycling today,” he said, “Armstrong will ride two or three times this year but is already out of cycling; and if the case goes ahead in the United States then cycling will go on.



“Harm has already been done in the past,” he added, referring to the countless scandals that have rocked the sport over recent years.



“The sport is bigger than Lance Armstrong,” he continued, “bigger than Floyd Landis or Alberto Contador. I’m not saying that Armstrong is guilty because we have to wait for the trial [if there is one – Ed], but I’m sure cycling is cleaner than it has ever been.



“This is the cleanest of sports,” he added.



While neither the UCI, nor McQuaid personally, were implicated in any of the allegations detailed in the Sports Illustrated story, the governing body and its former leader, McQuaid’s predecessor Hein Verbruggen, featured heavily in many of the claims made by Armstrong’s disgraced former-teammate Floyd Landis last May.



Should Armstrong’s case go to trial, McQuaid may find that he is one of those called upon to give evidence.