LONDON – The International Cycling Union disbanded an independent panel put together to review any involvement the cycling governing body had in the Lance Armstrong scandal, saying it will go ahead with a “truth and reconciliation commission” instead.
The UCI said its independent panel did not have the support of the American and global antidoping bodies, and that a truth and reconciliation process favored by those groups offered the best way “to clear the air” and get to the bottom with the rampant doping culture during the Armstrong era.
The UCI put together the panel in November to investigate accusations made by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that it helped cover up suspicious doping tests given by Armstrong and donations from the cyclist totaling $125,000. Those accusations were part of a report published by USADA that led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and eventually confessing to doping after years of denials.