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Months of shadowy politicking, corruption allegations and secret, damning dossiers will end on Friday when the International Cycling Union (UCI) holds its presidential election.
Barely a year after disgraced Lance Armstrong was banned for life for doping, cycling is about to elect a leader it hopes can pump fresh life into the sport and push it towards a doping-free future.
Yet what has become a duel between Irish incumbent Pat McQuaid and British Cycling president Brian Cookson has taken almost as many twists and turns as the storied career of the disgraced American champion.
Cookson, who has overseen Britain’s emergence as the world power in track cycling and rise on the professional road scene once ruled by mainland Europeans, is believed to be frontrunner.
McQuaid is widely expected to pay the price for what Cookson has labelled the UCI’s “inefficient handling” of the Armstrong affair and a stance which his critics say too closely reflects predecessor Hein Verbruggen.
After years of scandal in cycling, anything less than a juicy build-up to the fight for the UCI presidency would have been disappointing.
The seemingly squeaky-clean Cookson is “confident” of winning by a majority and said he would quickly launch a ‘truth and reconciliation’ process and build bridges with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
He also wants to “make our sport one where people can admire their heroes without doubt, aspire to compete, be a professional, even win a Tour or an Olympic medal and know that their friends will respect and not question them”.
If defeated, McQuaid said he would walk away.
“I know if I lose, I certainly won’t be looking to make a legal challenge. I’d walk away. I would hope my opponent would do the same,” McQuaid said.
Although Cookson is “taking nothing for granted”, the signs suggest McQuaid’s time could be up.
The Irishman has based his campaign on efforts to eradicate doping, notably introducing the pioneering biological passport program which other major sports are adopting.
But while reportedly being supported by delegates from Africa and Asia and some from South America, McQuaid seemingly has little backing from Europe.
In one of many twists, McQuaid believes Igor Makarov – the Russian Cycling Federation president, who has reportedly compiled a secret dossier against the UCI chief – played a crucial role in that development.
Following a special assembly of the influential European Cycling Union, Cookson was endorsed as the continent’s man for presidency by the 14 delegates.
“It wasn’t a big surprise to me, because one of his (Cookson) supporters is Igor Makarov, the Russian oligarch,” McQuaid said.
“He carries a lot of influence within the European federations.”
Makarov’s secret dossier reportedly contains proof that McQuaid took and solicited bribes and tried to bend the rules for Armstrong. McQuaid denies those allegations.
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