Pat McQuaid

Pat McQuaid grew up in a cycling family as his father, Jim McQuaid, had won the Irish Grand Prix six times, and his brother Kieron raced at the 1972 München Olympics. Pat McQuaid was a promising cyclist but in the early 1970s he joined Sean Kelly and Kieron in races in South Africa, for which they were banned from the Irish Olympic team for 1976. Another brother, Oliver, did ride the road race at the 1976 Montréal Olympics.

Pat McQuaid studied at Strawberry Hill Teacher Training College in Twickenham, near London, and then had a short professional career (1978-79) with Viking-Campagnolo. He turned to cycling administration, organizing the 1985 Nissan Tour of Ireland. In 1994 he was elected President of the Irish Cycling Federation, and in 1998 he was director of the initial stages of the Tour de France, which started in Ireland that year.

McQuaid was named to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) management board in 1997. In 2005 he was elected as President of the UCI, taking over for Hein Verbruggen. As President of the UCI he was co-opted onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2010, serving until 2013, when his term as UCI President ended. During his time on the IOC he served on the Women and Sports and the Athletes’ Entourage Commissions. He later moved to the south of France where he ran a tourist business.

McQuaid’s term as UCI President was marred by controversy as it was alleged that he gave preferential treatment to elite cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, and Alberto Contador, to help them avoid doping cases.