Open letter to Pat McQuaid

Dear Mr McQuaid,

I am a cyclist from Sweden who, in order to obtain this year’s UCI license, have just completed to mandatory ”True Champion or Cheat” training program

The final training module, about consequences of doping, is just horrible. First of all I am appalled by how the course portrays women. Women are reduced to less intelligent creatures that dress slutty and like to lean over pool tables, looking sexy and complementing her boyfriend. I am saddened by this extremely old fashion view on women that the UCI seems to have. Perhaps it is because your organization is contaminated by people with more conservative ideas about men and women?

Second. Who do you think will take the final module seriously? I don’t think the level of recognition is very high for the average cyclist. Yes, there are side effects of the use of anabolic steroids – and in some cases these side effects are very tragic on both a professional and personal level. But I think very few cyclists will identify themselves with the Neanderthal like person in the scenes. What is probably an attempt at scaring – keeping kids away from doping by showing them what kind of person they will become – becomes mostly comical and stupid.

The fact is that many, if not most, dopers in cycling are fairly well functioning individuals who are able to deal with most things in their everyday life. The sport of cycling should now this as it is a sport littered with them.

Seriously, did UCI pay for this stuff? Have the executives of UCI seen the training videos? It is 2011 and I think it is time to wake up. Perhaps the UCI could become a bit more vital if a few women were included in the management committee. I mean, it might be just me but there seems to be an overrepresentation of men, men who are entitled to discounts for senior citizens.

Sincerely

Jesper Sundewall

Stockholm, Sweden