Brian Cookson Hits Back at ‘bully’ McQuaid

International Cycling Union (UCI) Presidential candidate Brian Cookson has hit back at Pat McQuaid who described his manifesto as ‘half-baked.’

Cookson, who is the President of British Cycling, released his manifesto in his attempt to dislodge McQuaid from the UCI Presidential hot-seat on Monday, but it was met with criticism from the current UCI chief.

McQuaid said: “Brian Cookson’s election manifesto is half baked, fundamentally flawed and financially impractical.”

Now Cookson has responded to McQuaid’s comments, calling him a bully and ‘absurd.’

“The response from Pat McQuaid to my manifesto has once again demonstrated exactly why restoring credibility to the UCI and cycling in general was the number one recommendation of the recent Deloitte consultation with the sport’s stakeholders,” said Cookson.

“His bullying and haranguing style seems designed to antagonise everyone who does not share his approach to the governance of world cycling.

Yesterday’s release was a reminder of the sometimes absurd and entirely counter-productive feuds in which he has engaged.

“Members of the cycling family and other interested observers can read my manifesto, compare it with the current state and image of the UCI, and make their own minds up as to who they believe best represents the future of the UCI and cycling.”

Cookson’s manifesto centred largely around raising cycling’s reputation in the wake of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, that saw him stripped of his titles.

The manifesto also highlighted McQuaid’s rows with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and how these episodes had to be stopped for the sport to move on.