DUBLIN — Former UCI president Pat McQuaid says a report into the culture of doping has cleared him of corruption allegations in the handling of the Lance Armstrong case.
Although the report concluded that he undermined anti-doping efforts by protecting Armstrong, McQuaid says "this report totally exonerates me on the key questions it set out to answer, on corruption and coverups in doping."
McQuaid, who was UCI president from 2005-13, is credited with increasing the anti-doping budget but criticized for giving Armstrong preferential treatment, notably when he was allowed to make his comeback at the 2009 Tour Down Under.
McQuaid tells The Associated Press "the man was fully entitled to compete in the sport, just like any athlete, because we tested him more than 200 times and he never tested positive."