TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 SPORTS UCI chiefs ‘protected’ Armstrong against doping PARIS: An independent commission yesterday Armstrong, who defeated cancer to go on and The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USA- organiser of the race. The commission said accused top leaders of cycling’s world body of pro- win seven straight Tour de France races from 1999 DA) called for the prosecution of Verbruggen and Armstrong was seen as the “perfect choice to lead tecting Lance Armstrong and other drug cheats to to 2005, was stripped of his titles in 2012 and McQuaid over the alleged cover-up. Travis Tygart the sport’s renaissance” after the Festina drug scan- protect the sports reputation. banned from the sport for life. The fallen US cycling said that letting Armstrong’s lawyer rewrite the dal on the Tour de France in 1998. “The fact that he The commission also said doping remains wide- hero, 43, now admits taking banned substances. independent report was “a stunning example of was American opened up a new continent for the spread and called on the International Cycling The commission said it found no links between deceit.” “USADA will work with the current UCI lead- sport, he had beaten cancer and the media quickly Union (UCI) to enact widespread changes. The donations amounting to $125,000 he made to the ership to obtain the evidence of this sordid incident made him a global star.” Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) UCI and a cover up of his drug failures. The CIRC to ensure that all anti-doping rule violations related The commission highlighted lapses in cycling’s was set up following allegations of corruption to gave a damning assessment however of efforts by to this conduct are fully investigated and prosecut- general anti-drug regime including drug testers cover up Armstrong’s drug failures. Verbruggen and McQuaid to shield Armstrong from ed, where possible,” said Tygart, who guided the sometimes leaking information about who would UCI president Brian Cookson said the report investigation. “Numerous examples have been iden- investigation that finally brought Armstrong down. be the target of tests. highlighted “that in the past the UCI suffered tified showing that UCI leadership ‘defended’ or In 1999, Armstrong was allowed to provide a One expert told the commission that up to 90 severely from a lack of good governance with indi- ‘protected’ Lance Armstrong and took decisions backdated doctor’s prescription “to avoid sanction” percent of the race peloton was still doping. Others viduals taking crucial decisions alone, many of because they were favourable to him. This was in during the 1999 Tour de France when four out of 15 gave lower estimates. It said there were “serious which undermined anti-doping efforts.” circumstances where there was strong reason to tests taken showed banned corticosteroids, the allegations” that riders from one unnamed country The CIRC report pointed a damning finger at suspect him of doping,” said the commission report. CIRC said. When Armstrong made a comeback in paid what was called an “anti-doping tax” to avoid past presidents Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid, The UCI “purposely limited the scope” of one 2009, the UCI allowed him to compete in the Tour tests. The commission said the the accusations were and Cookson stated: “The UCI management has 2005 independent investigation into Armstrong Down Under in Australia even though he had not received late in its mandate so had been passed to changed, we no longer close our eyes to doping. and the rider’s lawyers wrote portions of its final been available for testing for the previous six the UCI for further investigation. “The style of leadership of Hein Verbruggen is report, the commission said. “UCI exempted Lance months, as required. “The significant risk for cycling is that the num- criticised in the report and that style of leadership Armstrong from rules, failed to target test him The commission said it had information that ber of doping scandals and damage to the sport’s led to some of the major errors. despite the suspicions, and publicly supported him McQuaid “made a sudden u-turn” to let Armstrong reputation will cause both existing sponsors to “Image and the business of the sport were put against allegations of doping, even as late as 2012.” return 13 days early, against the advice of UCI staff. leave the sport and deter new sponsors,” said the before integrity and transparency and honesty, that The commission said “requesting and accepting The same day that Armstrong was allowed into report, highlighting the exit of Rabobank, a Dutch approach was taken too far.”I hope these two won’t donations from Lance Armstrong, given the suspi- the Tour Down Under, the American said he would bank, in 2012. Neither Verbruggen nor McQuaid have any role in cycling in the future.” cions, left UCI open to criticism.” ride in the Tour of Ireland. McQuaid’s brother was an made an immediate comment. — AFP Johnson rallies for victory MIAMI: American Dustin Johnson overcame J.B. Holmes’s five-stroke final-round lead for a one-shot victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championships on Sunday, just over a month after returning from a half-year break from the game. Johnson, in his fifth tournament since taking a leave of absence in July to deal with personal issues, carded a three-under 69 at Trump National Doral for his ninth PGA Tour win. “All of them are good but this one might be the best for sure,” said Johnson, who kept his cool on the difficult 18th, which he had bogeyed in his three previous rounds, to make par and secure the win. “I’ve been working hard on my game and been working hard on me, and so it means a great deal to have some success right out of the gate. It gives me a lot of confidence, too,” said Johnson. Holmes, who led the tournament after each of the first three rounds at Doral, quickly lost ground with three early bogeys. He dropped another stroke at 14 but made a birdie two holes later to salvage a three-over 75 that left him alone in sec- ond place. “Dustin played a great round,” said Holmes, “I knew it was going to take a good round to beat me, even if I had a little bit of an off-day and 69 out here is pretty freaking good.” Holmes said he was not surprised to find him- self in a thre-way scrap at the top having come into the final round in command. “It always ends up that way. You just expect it. Very rarely does some- body have that big lead and hold it through the whole day. The guys are good out here.” Johnson also came within inches of another hole-in-one on the par-three fourth hole - which he and Holmes had both aced on Saturday. Masters champion Bubba Watson, who led by two strokes at the turn and looked ready to run PUERTO RICO: Germany’s Alex Cejka poses for pictures with this trophy after winning away with the tournament, finished in third after the Puerto Rico Open golf tournament in Rio Grande. — AP his four-under 32 on the front nine was undone by three bogeys over a four-hole stretch on the back nine. Australia’s Adam Scott (71) and Sweden’s Cejka clinches Henrik Stenson (72) finished tied for fourth. World number one Rory McIlroy, who struggled with his ball-striking throughout the week, finished tied for Puerto Rico Open ninth, eight shots behind Johnson, after an even- par he shot even-par 72 that was capped by a dou- DORAL: Dustin Johnson holds the Gene Sarazen Cup after winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. — AP PUERTO RICO: German veteran Alex Cejka and here I am. And I’m very, very pleased. I ble-bogey on the 18th. — Reuters sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the first extra don’t think I’m going to sleep tonight.” A hole for victory in a five-way playoff at the four-time winner on the European Tour, he Puerto Rico Open on Sunday. endured a 12-year global drought before KTA concludes Under-14 tourney The 44-year-old outlasted Americans winning on the secondary US-based Jon Curran, Tim Petrovic and Sam Web.com tour in 2014. Saunders and Argentine Emiliano Grillo to “At least I can say I played PGA Tour for a seal the win. long time and I won. That’s a good sen- They all finished at seven-under-par 281 tence I can use when I retire.” Cejka started at the Trump International course in Rio the final round strongly, with four birdies in Grande to force the first five-man playoff the first six holes, but did not pick up on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson won another stroke the rest of the way, with his the 2006 BellSouth Classic. lone bogey coming at the par-three 11th. Curran and Grillo both bogeyed the par- Grillo, playing on a sponsor exemption, five 18th in regulation to fall into the play- perhaps had most to rue of the playoff los- off. Cejka, who shot a closing 69, collected ers after missing a short par putt for victory $540,000 for his first win on the PGA Tour. at the 72nd hole. “The first victory is always the toughest, so Saunders, the grandson of the leg- I’m glad it’s done,” Cejka told reporters, endary Arnold Palmer, also had cause for admitting he was surprised that Curran and regret after missing a makeable birdie putt Grillo both butchered the 72nd hole.