UCI chief Pat McQuaid given backing by IOC’s Jacques Rogge

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, has given his backing to under-fire world cycling governing body chief Pat McQuaid.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has faced criticism in the wake of the Lance Armstrong doping saga that rocked the sport, and was rumoured to be facing elimination from the Olympics.

But cycling was maintained on the IOC’s list of core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games by the executive board on Tuesday and Rogge supported the UCI.

“We have confidence in Mr McQuaid as president of the UCI,” said Rogge.

“There is an ongoing discussion between WADA and UCI and we call on both parties to reconcile with each other and find a solution for this crisis together.”

There had been suggestions that cycling would face expulsion from the Olympics if McQuaid and honorary president Hein Verbrugghen were proved to have been complicit in Armstrong’s doping.

The US Anti-Doping Authority report into Armstrong’s doping claimed the Texan had donated money to the UCI in an attempt to bribe them.

The UCI president said Armstrong had no place in the sport after he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in October 2012.