In another day of drama in the world of cycling, the UCI has suspended it’s legal action against Paul Kimmage while the seven Tour de France titles won by Lance Armstrong are to remain winless.
By Declan Whooley
Journalist Paul Kimmage has been at the forefront of anti-doping in the sport in recent years and took the fight to Lance Armstrong at a time when most wouldn’t.
Highly critical of cycling’s governing body, UCI president Pat McQuaid and former president Hein Verbruggen initiated legal proceedings against the Dubliner in January for defamation of character in articles he wrote in the Sunday Times and L’Equipe.
With all the subsequent revelations it is of little surprise that the UCI has now decided to drop the claims in an effort to salvage some degree of credibility. A donation fund set up to cover Kimmage’s legal expenses reportedly stands at €65,000.
Kimmage took to Twitter to voice his feelings on what has been an amotional day of the former cyclist.
The UCI also confirmed today that the seven Tour de France titles that Lance Armstrong won in succession until 2005 will now remain winless.
“The management committee decided not to award victories to any other rider or upgrade other placings in any of the affected events,” the statement read.
“While this might appear harsh for those who rode clean, they would understand there was little honour to be gained in reallocating places.”
The UCI will hope that these measures will go in some small way to lifting the dark cloud that continues to hang over the sport.
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