Professional Cyclist Association Confronts Dick Pound
Apology Demanded for Defamatory Comments.

During an off season that produces usually only transfer rumors and contract signings; this year has included major battles between the UCI and Grand Tours Organisations. Another "Battle Royale" was started today by the CPA the Professional Riders Association with the head of WADA.
Dick Pound infamous for his generalized statements on doping in sports claiming widespread doping and particularly for attacking professional cycling  has finally raised the ire of professional cyclists who have claimed defamation as a group and are obviously ready to take Pound to task for his statements.
An apology has been requested in the next ten days by January 20th or further action will be taken, “Failing this, the CPA could proceed by any useful means.”
The letter referred to the UK Guardian Newspaper article and an interview with the Swiss paper 24 Hours in 2005.
The letter signed by Francesco Moser president of the Cyclistes Professionels Associes stated:
"You have openly attacked the sport of cycling and its actors, stating in particular that doping is ubiquitous among cycling teams. You even dare to imply that the UCI (International Cycling Union, the sport's governing body) is complicit in this.
You openly accuse cyclists as a whole of behaving against honour, sporting ethics, and pass them off, in the eyes of the public, as cheaters trying to bend the rules, while in fact they deserve respect for their training and their daily effort and sacrifice."

Last year in the Guardian, Pound wrote that since the Festina scandal of 1998 "…Drug use, within entire teams, continues unabated".
He continued, "This drug use is not the accidental ingestion of a tainted supplement by an individual athlete. It is planned and deliberate cheating, with complex methods, sophisticated substances and techniques and the active complicity of doctors, scientists, team officials and riders. There is nothing accidental about it. All this cheating goes on under the supposedly watchful eyes of cycling officials, who loudly proclaim that their sport is drug-free and committed to remaining so. Based on performance, they should not be allowed outdoors without white canes and seeing-eye dogs."
These and other statements have made Dick Pound as head of WADA open to criticism from riders and the press. It comes as no surprise that the CPA has finally taken action, one only wonders why it took so long.