By Tom Degun

Pat McQuaid 3February 19 - Pat McQuaid, the International Cycling Union's (UCI) under-fire President, has again vowed not to quit the position in the wake of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.


The 63-year-old from Ireland is currently at the 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk, Belarus, where he has maintained he is the man to oversee the future of the sport despite criticism from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for failing to stop the doping culture that has plagued cycling.

"I work 365 days a year for this sport, travel the world promoting the sport, have done so for a good few years," McQuaid said.

"I feel I've achieved a lot in the seven-and-a-half years I've been President, in terms of developing the sport on a global basis and also in the fight against doping.

"I would like to do more.

"What I set out to do was change the culture, from a doping culture to an anti-doping culture.

"I do believe that is happening and I would like to see it through.

"When I do quit as President, I'd like to look back to say I've achieved something with the sport.

"It has been difficult the last couple of months but it is difficult dealing with something which happened 15 years ago.

"It's a long time ago and the landscape was different then to what it is today.

"We have to get through it and look forward and that's what the UCI is doing."
 
Lance Armstong interviewUCI Pat McQuaid has been put under pressure following revelations that Lance Armstrong doped for all seven of his Tour de France victories

McQuaid, who is also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and a former professional road racing cyclist, also said he is ignoring the huge criticism directed at him.

"I don't take it personally at all," he said.

"I've been around cycling all my life.

"I can take the good days and the bad days, same as on the bike.

"I have a mission and objectives and I'm aiming for those objectives.

"The sport is in a very good place now and I want to continue to see it in that good place and continue to develop it."

The UCI President added that he is still looking to work with WADA on setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission after the world governing body's own Independent Commission was scrapped by McQuaid due to a lack of an amnesty for witnesses.

WADA have criticised the way the UCI have dictated the terms of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to them but McQuaid said he still hopes they can work together.

"I have always said relations with WADA, at an operational level, have always been excellent," he said.

"They continue to be excellent.

"Political level it's different but hopefully we'll be able to work something out now on truth and reconciliation.

"It's something which would suit the sport and will allow us to draw a line in the sand."

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