KEY POINTS:
World Anti-Doping chief Dick Pound on Saturday (NZ time) slammed the International Cycling Union over its ineffective drug testing.
"They don't do a lot of intelligent testing," he told Reuters in a telephone interview from his Montreal office.
"They test the guy in the yellow jersey and four
others. If you only test five guys a day out of 200 then I'm not impressed.
"I was trying to give the new president the benefit of the doubt but the proof is in the pudding.
The holder of the yellow jersey, the stage winner and two others are tested each day on the Tour with two more riders on standby in case one of those chosen fails to complete the stage.
Pound's comments reflect the fact that after a brief truce between Wada and the UCI both sides have now come out with guns blazing as new doping scandals batter the Tour de France.
Pound, who steps down as Wada chairman later this year, had praised recent UCI anti-doping efforts at the start of the Panamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago.
But he was quickly back on the attack following two positive tests during the Tour and the sacking of Denmark's race leader Michael Rasmussen by his Rabobank team for allegedly lying to them about his whereabouts during training.
"I thought they (the UCI) were saying the right things, moving in the right direction. What is happening this year is worse than the Festina (doping scandal) affair (in 1998).
"They (the UCI) are either incapable of dealing with this or disingenuous at best."
Pound had engaged in a long-running feud with former UCI president and fellow International Olympic Committee member Hein Verbruggen until he stepped down in 2005.
Wada expressed concern about the increase in doping cases in cycling and on Thursday offered to hold a summit to discuss how to deal with the problem.
The doping agency said it planned to invite the UCI, events organisers, riders, other team members and anyone else involved in the sport, such as sponsors, to the summit.
Discussions would include a review of out-of-competition testing programmes plus education and awareness initiatives.
The offer, was dismissed by the UCI as more grandstanding by the Wada chief but Pound expects the summit to proceed.
"I think their reaction is caused by the embarrassment of what is happening," he said.
"When you know you're going to be tested during a competition not only are you a crook but a stupid crook knowing you're going to get caught," he added.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has told Saturday's Sueddeutsche Zeitung he would break with cycling's world governing body and backed Wada's call for a summit.
"Next year we will work hand in hand with Wada and with the French anti-doping agency," said Prudhomme.
- REUTERS
