ICAS President To Select Panel To Investigate UCI

Int'l Council of Arbitration for Sport President and Australian Olympic Council Chair John Coates will select the three-man Independent Commission to "investigate allegations" against the Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) regarding the Lance Armstrong affair and the running of cycling by its governing body in general, according to Brendan Gallagher of the London TELEGRAPH. Coates has "agreed to select the panel," which will be chaired by a senior lawyer of int'l standing and also consist of a forensic accountant to "look into allegations of illegal payments" by Armstrong and a senior sports administrator. All three "will be free of any cycling connections" (TELEGRAPH, 11/7). REUTERS' Alison Wildey reported the UCI said last month that it would "set up an independent commission to address the accusations that arose" during the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation into Armstrong and the U.S. Postal team. UCI President Pat McQuaid said, "We would like to thank John Coates for his recommendations, which we will follow to the letter." Its final report will be published no later than June 1 (REUTERS, 11/7).

AUSTRALIA'S REVIEW: The AAP reported that former New South Wales judge James Wood will head a review of Cycling Australia in the wake of the Armstrong doping scandal. Federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy said that the review was necessary "to restore confidence and trust in the sport's national governing body." Wood is a former NSW Supreme Court chief judge and he also is the NSW Law Reform Commission chairman (AAP, 11/7).