USADA chief Tygart lashes out at UCI for lack of action since demise of Armstrong

BRUSSELS – The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Friday lashed out at the UCI world cycling federation for failing to take any decisive action to clean up the sport since the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.

Travis Tygart said after meeting with European Union sports officials that “all those who cherish the Olympic values, particularly fair play and a level playing field, deserve more.”

After the discussions, which were also attended by UCI President Pat McQuaid, Tygart listed only one measure taken by cycling authorities, which was to shut down an independent panel looking into the relation between cycling leaders and Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.

The independent commission had been established to examine claims the UCI had accepted financial donations from Armstrong as well as covering up samples.

“They disbanded the independent commission that was set up at the very time it began to actually act independent,” Tygart said.

When the UCI shut down the panel two months after its start, it said that it wanted an amnesty-style “truth and reconciliation” commission instead.

The UCI has said that it had tested Armstrong 189 times and caught top riders Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, which proved helpful in the investigation against Armstrong.

Still, Tygart said the UCI was moving too slowly to reform a sport that has been hit hard by doping scandals. He said the lack of action came in the face of promises to reform after USADA produced its report on Armstrong in October.

“We have seen nothing. It has been over seven months since our report and their declaration that they needed to take decisive action,” he said. “So, of course, we are frustrated.”

In Europe, cycling’s biggest scandal has been the Operation Puerto blood-doping case in Spain, where a judge ruled last month that key evidence that could implicate more athletes should be destroyed — preventing sport agencies from uncovering other cheaters.

Tygart called it “an obvious setback,” but was heartened by appeals to keep hundreds of blood bags available for analysis.

And he pointed out that the Armstrong case proved that even if such clear-cut evidence doesn’t exist, “that cannot stop anti-doping agencies … from doing the job,” since proof could also be obtained from teammates and other officials.