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WADA slams 'arrogant' UCI

London - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) branded the UCI "deceitful" and "arrogant" on Tuesday after cycling's governing body shut down its own independent inquiry into doping.

WADA said that the UCI has "again chosen to ignore its responsibility to the sport" by disbanding the commission examining claims cycling leaders helped cover up suspicious doping tests given by Lance Armstrong and unethically accepted $125 000 in donations.

The UCI is setting up a separate amnesty-style "truth and reconciliation commission" that it claimed in a news release on Monday was supported by WADA President John Fahey.

"This is not only wrong in content and process, but again deceitful," WADA said in a statement. "The fact is that WADA was awaiting a reply to the correspondence when the UCI release was delivered.

"WADA has not and will not consider partaking in any venture with UCI while this unilateral and arrogant attitude continues."

The anti-doping agency added that it will not "pay for or contribute to any collaborative effort with UCI into investigating UCI's long-standing problems with doping in its sport and its alleged complicity."

Accusations against the UCI emerged in the US Anti-Doping Agency report that led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and eventually confessing to doping after years of denials.

In justifying the reason to disband the independent panel, the UCI cited WADA's refusal to cooperate with the inquiry.

But WADA on Tuesday said it would not participate with the commission because of the "inadequacies of the terms of reference and the timelines," including a demand that the UCI could not scrutinize or edit the findings before they were released.

WADA said it hopes the UCI's independent commission will still reconvene as previously planned on Thursday - despite being disbanded. The three-person body complained on Tuesday that the UCI never provided the cooperation - promised by UCI President Pat McQuaid - to allow it to function.

"This failure to cooperate makes our task impossible," the commission, which was chaired by British judge Philip Otton, said in a statement. "Therefore, the proposed hearing on (January 31) will not take place."
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