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CYCLING

Swiss reverse support for world cycling chief

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid received a blow on Wednesday to his bid to win a third term in the role as the Swiss Cycling Federation withdrew its backing for his candidacy.

Swiss reverse support for world cycling chief
Patrick McQuaid. Photo: Pierre Andrieu/AFP

Irishman McQuaid had already seen his homeland remove their support for him but then thought he been granted a reprieve when the Swiss stepped in.
   
But now he has lost their backing as well, he is left needing to change the rules in order to stand for election.
   
"The Board of Directors of Swiss Cycling have reversed their decision from May 13th 2013 concerning the nomination of Pat McQuaid and decided yesterday (Tuesday) to withdraw the nomination of Pat McQuaid for reelection to the UCI presidency," said the Swiss federation in a statement.
   
"By consequence the arbitration requested by three members of Swiss Cycling has been cancelled as it is no longer of any use."
   
Three members of the board had previously contested Swiss Cycling's decision to support the Irishman.
   
McQuaid has been severely criticised over his links to now-disgraced former cycling star Lance Armstrong.
   
McQuaid was suspected of complicity in helping Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France victories, cover up positive doping tests.
   
The 63-year-old has previously accused his detractors of mounting a "smear campaign" against him.
   
"I do think there is a certain movement out there against me, which doesn't want me to be the president of the UCI for their own political reasons, or for their own personal reasons," he told AFP earlier this month.
   
He is due to stand against longtime British Cycling president Brian Cookson in the election in Florence on September 27th.
   
But in order to do so he needs to secure a modification to the UCI statutes as under current legislation he is ineligible.
   
The Malaysian Federation has proposed an amendment that would allow a presidential candidate to be supported by two member Federations rather than his own affiliated federation.
   
If that is successful, McQuaid would be able to stand for election as he has the support of the Thai and Moroccan federations.
   
The reason he had managed to stay in the race through Swiss support was that although he is Irish, he lives in Switzerland, where the UCI is based in Aigle, a town in the canton of Vaud.

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CYCLING

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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