September 21/07 1:19 am - UCI and Cycling Australia Battle over Allan Davis' Selection to Aussie Team for Road Worlds

Posted by Editoress on 09/21/07
 

The UCI is taking a hard line and is attempting to ban Australian Allan Davis' participation at the upcoming Road World Championships in Germany. Davis was initially implicated in "Operacion Puerto" (by virtue of his membership to the Liberty Seguros squad). Davis was investigated and found to have had no involvement with "Operacion Puerto".

Cycling Australia issued the following statement in relation to Allan Davis

Cycling Australia last night received a letter from the UCI (International Cycling Union) seeking the withdrawal of Allan Davis from the Australian team for next week's Road World Championships in Germany. The UCI correspondence cited Article 9.2.002 of the UCI Cycling Regulations as the basis for the request.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Management of Cycling Australia has met to consider the UCI's request and the following was sent in writing in response :

Letter to Pat McQuaid, President of the UCI from Cycling Australia dated September 20, 2007.

"We are in receipt of your letter dated today in relation to the entry of Allan Davis as a member of the Australian team for the 2007 UCI Road World Championships being staged in Stuttgart from September 26th to 30th.

We would like to make the following points:

• Firstly Cycling Australia fully supports the UCI's campaign to stamp out doping in our sport and will continue to do so. As a Federation we will immediately investigate any information provided to us implicating any member of our organisation in doping.

• Our position is that clause 9.2.002 cited by you does not apply in the case of Allan Davis as there is no charge pending against him nor is there an open investigation of Mr Davis in respect of any possible Anti-Doping violation. Therefore we feel our Federation has no legal basis to remove him from the team. He was entered in the Australian team on the basis of meeting our published selection criteria and in good faith that there was no reason to exclude him.

• We are disappointed that the advice from you comes less than 24 hours before the close of entries for the World Championships as such giving Mr Davis no time to respond.

• The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, an independent organisation of the highest repute and affiliated with WADA, advised us in writing on December 14th 2006 the case against Mr Davis was closed on the basis of insufficient evidence to proceed. No further evidence has been forthcoming and as such Mr Davis has no case to answer. If there is no charge against him there is no basis for an acquittal.

• Mr Davis has at all times fully cooperated with authorities with respect to this matter and in a written statement on July 28th freely offered his DNA for testing if required.

Therefore Pat we find ourselves in a position where we are unable to withdraw his nomination and seek reconsideration of the UCI position."

Please see related media release "Davis Case Closed"

Cycling Australia website www.cycling.org.au