The action is being led by Kurt Buergi, the sporting Director of the EKZ Racing Team and a former Swiss national coach, and supported by the Skins clothing company, whose chairman is Jaimie Fuller, founder of pressure group Change Cycling Now, whose members include Greg LeMond, Paul Kimmage and David Walsh.

They claim the decision by the Swiss last month "was unconstitutional and made without proper authority", which if upheld could provide McQuaid with a major obstacle to stand in the election, where he will face Brian Cookson, President of British Cycling. 

The Presidential election requires a candidate to be a member of an affiliated Federation, but Buergi and Skins claim that Swiss Cycling was not constitutionally able to officially support. McQuaid and that the endorsement is therefore null and void.

Buergi and Skins dispute the UCI's claim that, under its constitution, an individual is allowed to be a member of two federations.

They claim that because McQuaid had already sought the support of Cycling Ireland he could then not seek the nomination from Switzerland.


Cycling Ireland had originally endorsed McQuaid's nomination in April but then revoked it and decided instead to put the matter to the country's cycling clubs at an Extraordinary General Meeting in Dublin on June 15 where they will be able to vote whether to back him or not.

Buergi and Skins also claim that the Swiss Cycling Federation decision should not stand because of a unilateral decision by the President of Swiss Cycling, Richard Chassot, to announce the endorsement.

"There has been a suggestion that the Swiss announcement rendered the Irish vote as meaningless but the members of Cycling Ireland should be in no doubt that their vote really does count," said Fuller. 

"If Cycling Ireland's members vote against endorsement, this action could then finally close the door on the prospect of a further term of office for the current President."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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