• Home
• /
• Sports
• /
• Global Sports

UCI, cyclist should link up: Wiggins

Dubai - Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins gave credit to the world body (Union Cycliste Internationale - UCI) for having painstakingly pursued the fight to remove the 'doping cancer' that has been harming the sport for the past two decades.

Former Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, reckons cyclists concerned and the world governing body should have a communication link before doping issues are addressed and made public.
Here in the city for the Dubai Tour, he gave credit to the world body (Union Cycliste Internationale - UCI) for having painstakingly pursued the fight to remove the 'doping cancer' that has been harming the sport for the past two decades.
"I appreciate the difficulties involved but what I cannot stand is the credibility of statements. Temptations will come in plenty and for the hard working cyclist, the offers that come by can be life sealing or for good for the rest of ones life initially. "However much the offer is, I still cannot understand the justification as it reduces everything else - the competition, the straight pro and the teams - next to nothing," said Wiggins.
"I can't see the logic behind the logic of having to cut short a path that is already laid out for a promising cyclist. For people like me who are now more into the talent promotion aspects of the sport, such issues are disturbing and damaging," said Wiggins.
A regular topper till 2008 in the world championships, he won gold in the individual pursuit at the 2004 Olympic Games and two golds in the individual and team pursuit at the 2008 Olympic Games. Wiggins returned to the track at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and since, has announced his intention to compete in track cycling at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
After the 2008 Olympics, Wiggins took a break from the track to focus on the road. Initially viewed as a time trial specialist, he showed his tremendous talents as an allround cyclist in the stage races when he came fourth in the 2009 Tour de France; he was later promoted to third after Lance Armstrong's results were annulled in 2012.
In 2011 he claimed his first victory in a major stage race in the Criterium du Dauphine, and he also finished third in the Vuelta a Espana. In 2012, Wiggins won the Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie, the Criterium du Dauphine, and became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France and the time trial at the Olympic Games.  
moni@khaleejtimes.com