Blow to current president’s re-election chances, Fuller calls for him to abandon campaign
Confirming the news reported here yesterday, Swiss Cycling has announce this morning that it has decided to rescind the nomination of UCI President Pat McQuaid, who had requested its backing in order to be able to go forward for a third term in office.
“The director of Swiss Cycling committee returned to the decision of 13 May 2013 concerning the appointment of Pat McQuaid and decided yesterday to withdraw the appointment of Pat McQuaid for his re-election to the presidency of the UCI,” said the federation in a statement issued several minutes ago.
“As a result, the request for arbitration by three members of Swiss Cycling is cancelled, since there is no reason [to continue with it].”
Yesterday VeloNation received the text of a message sent by Swiss Cycling to the three arbitration panel members who were to hear a legal case on the nomination tomorrow.
It made clear that the federation were pulling back on their earlier stance. “After having carefully considered the arguments of the claimants in the arbitration brought against Swiss Cycling’s Decision of 13 May 2013 to nominate Mr. Pat McQuaid for UCI Presidential election, a majority of the Board’s member decided, in light of the legal issues regarding the validity of said Decision and of the general interest of Swiss Cycling, to (i) revoke the Decision of 13 May 2013 and (ii) to withdraw Swiss Cycling’s nomination of Mr. Pat McQuaid for (re)election as UCI President,” it states.
“Swiss Cycling’s head of administration, Mr. Markus Pfisterer, has been instructed to communicate this decision of the Board of Swiss Cycling to the UCI and to seek a settlement with the claimants regarding the termination of the proceedings and the allocation of costs.”
McQuaid denied to journalists that this was accurate, apparently being unaware of what had occurred.
He had already had his Irish nomination rescinded after the Cycling Ireland general members voted not to back him in an extraordinary general meeting on June 15th.
The federation had originally nominated him on April 12th but procedural errors led to that decision being invalid.
Yesterday’s decision to end that legal action closes the door to McQuaid’s Swiss nomination, and now means that his chances of a third term as president hinge completely on controversial nominations by the Moroccan and Thai federations.
VeloNation understands a legal challenge to these will take place, with a number of federations to join in a consortium and to take action. One interpretation of Article 51 of the UCI Constitution is that a candidate’s ‘home’ federation is the one which should nominate a candidate, although McQuaid disputes this.
The latest developments means that it could be a legal ruling rather than a UCI congress vote which determines if he will indeed have a third term in office.
Meanwhile the chairman of the Skins clothing company Jaimie Fuller, who had joined with the Swiss claimants Kurt Buergi, a former national coach, former Swiss Cycling board member Mattia Galli, and the ex-pro Patrick Calcagni in taking the legal case against Swiss Cycling, has said he believes yesterday’s decision should prompt McQuaid to give up on his aim of a third term.
“Mr McQuaid should now accept the writing is on the wall and stop this ridiculous charade. His latest stunt to attempt to introduce retrospective changes to the UCI constitution reflect a man who is both delusional and despotic; his arrogance knows no bounds. His fellow countrymen in Ireland had second thoughts when they withdrew their endorsement and now the Swiss have done the same. I would hope that by now, Mr. McQuaid is getting the message.”
McQuaid and the UCI have yet to comment on this morning’s Swiss Cycling announcement.