But in the wake of recent events, many now doubt that it has. They include the United States Anti-Doping Agency's stripping of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins after he decided to not answer doping charges against him. The UCI is yet to ratify the USADA verdict, and will not do so until it reads the findings which it has not yet received. But there are reports that those findings into Armstrong and five associates also charged will lead to claims against the UCI. Placing further pressure on the UCI have been detailed descriptions of alleged doping practices on Armstrong's teams - and others - by one of his former teammates, Tyler Hamilton, in his recently launched book The Secret Race, co-authored by Dan Coyle. One of the claims is that the UCI covered up a positive test by Armstrong in the 2001 Tour de Suisse, an allegation previously made by another former Armstrong teammate, Floyd Landis, who was also stripped off his 2006 Tour win after testing positive in a dope control. Then the UCI last week rejected a proposed truth and reconciliation commission into doping initially floated by UCI president Pat McQuaid, and USADA head Travis Tygart said in the French sports paper L'Equipe that he received death threats during the Armstrong investigation. Add to that the UCI's intent to sue Irish journalist Paul Kimmage, whose 1990 book A Rough Ride exposed doping in professional cycling at the time and set a platform for investigation that may have stymied the problem had more journalists - myself included - pursued the issued with greater vigour. Kimmage, who has been one of a minority to doggedly pursue doping, unfairly became a pariah in the sport for "spitting in the soup" as omerta spread in cycling. His aim was never to seek fame or fortune, but to encourage change in the sport. He certainly hasn't enjoyed riches. Last year, he was let go by Britain's Sunday Times - but in a cost-cutting process - and is still out of work.

Yet Kimmage is still subject to legal action by McQuaid and his Dutch predecessor at the UCI, Hein Verbruggen, who have threatened to sue him for his work in the Sunday Times, based on an extensive interview in 2010 with Landis, and for comments he then made in an interview with L'Equipe. The allegations made then have since been corroborated by other publications and books - the latest being The Secret Race. The case, to be heard in a Swiss court on December 12, appears personal, with McQuaid and Verbruggen not suing the Sunday Times for running Kimmage's work, or L'Equipe for publishing his comments. It is also seen by many observers as the UCI delivering a message that it won't be criticised. Little wonder in this environment there is disillusionment, anger and mistrust of the UCI. The call for a broom to be swept through its hierarchy is growing louder by the week, especially in light of the UCI's doggedness to nobble Kimmage at a time when many feel the UCI should be spending more time and money into addressing many of the other problems facing the sport.

But at the world titles the UCI distanced itself from any blame for the doping problem. At a press conference there, McQuaid told media: "The UCI has nothing to be apologetic about ... The UCI has always been the international federation that does the most against doping." But the support for Kimmage, and opposition to the UCI, is a reply by the masses that the UCI must heed. When Kimmage's close friend, mentor and fellow-Irish journalist David Walsh, another staunch anti-doping advocate, opened a Twitter account last week he called for support of Kimmage and free media. Readers quickly suggested a Paul Kimmage defence fund be set up. By Wednesday morning (Australian time), the fund created by cycling sites www.nyvelocity.com and www.cyclismas.com and Twitter identity @Digger–forum totalled more than $34,000. Donations to the fund had come from all areas of cycling - from the all-important fan who is the lifeblood of the sport, to the media, riders, ex-riders, management and support staff. It also attracted massive Twitter support, including from American triple Tour winner Greg LeMond.

And at last week's world titles journalists there also signed a petition in support of Kimmage. Kimmage said he been humbled by it all and Tweeted on Tuesday morning that he could not sleep, that his "head has been spinning", But he added that he knew it was not about him, but instead about cycling, fixing what is wrong in it and going for broke to encourage clean cycling. So in many ways it is about Kimmage, because without his voice and those of a brave minority who dared to speak out, the sport may not be on the cusp of the potential change it faces today. Whether that chance is seized, requires all in the sport to recognise the wrongs committed - me included. But it must also come from up top at the UCI. If not, then those up top must go. Twitter: @rupertguinness