Cookson’s election blow

Cookson criticised as UCI elects French president

The presidency of the UCI slipped out of Brian Cookson’s hands because he was an “introvert” who let others do the work for him, claim insiders about the landslide victory for new president, Frenchman David Lappartient.

The Englishman lost eight votes to 37 last Thursday, failing in his re-election bid after serving one four-year term. Only one other president

has had such a short reign in 100-plus years of the UCI.

“David [Lappartient] has a personality,” former president Pat Mcquaid said. “He’s able to think and talk on his feet. Brian was never like that because he had to have everything prepared for him by a communications company. He’s an introvert basically.”

Mcquaid, who lost his re-election bid to Cookson in 2013, travelled to Bergen, Norway, for the World Championships and UCI elections to hear from many of his long-time colleagues.

“It went wrong for him from the beginning in the way he ran his presidency,” Mcquaid added. “He abdicated all of his responsibility to the director general, Martin Gibbs. Brian spent all this time going around acting like an honorary president. Martin Gibbs does not have the ability to do all that work.”

Italian federation president Renato Di Rocco, also one of the three UCI vice presidents under Cookson said: “Brian is a good person but his big mistake was allowing others to work for him. We tried many times to convince him to change his ways but he always refused.

“Two years ago, the three vice presidents asked him to distance himself from [strategic adviser] Justin Abbott. He [did] for a month and then he brought them back into the fold. Nothing changed. When three vice presidents ask you something you should try to do it, otherwise, you’ll pay the consequences.”

Cookson has returned to Lancashire, where he said he will spend more time riding his bike. He and Gibbs defended themselves; Abbott did not respond to a request for comment.

“[Mcquaid] was accused of being too hands-on and there were clearly conflicts of interest,” said Cookson. “I intentionally set out to have a clear structural delineation of responsibilities between myself and my director general.”

Gibbs added: “Brian promised to transform the UCI, which at that time was in crisis. He did just that; I am proud to have worked for him.”

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