BERLIN—Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has vowed in a newspaper interview to break with cycling's world governing body, slamming the UCI for its failure to combat doping in the sport.
Prudhomme, asked in an interview to be published in Saturday's Sueddeutsche Zeitung if he planned to break off cooperation with the International Cycling Union, said:
"Yes, that's the case. Next year we will work hand in hand with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and with the French anti-doping agency."
"The UCI never wanted a clean Tour," he added.
The world's premier cycling race was plunged into crisis this week, with two positive tests and the sacking of race leader Michael Rasmussen by his Rabobank team for allegedly lying about his training whereabouts.
Both the Cofidis and Astana teams have dropped out of the Tour amid the widening doping scandal.
However, UCI president Pat McQuaid defended his organisation in an interview with France 2 television on Friday.
"We have not provided the riders with banned substances," he said. "We are trying to fight against doping, not only on the Tour de France but also on the other races."
Prudhomme said the UCI had violated its own rules in letting Rasmussen start the race and backed a call by WADA for a summit to discuss how to combat doping in cycling.
"I will definitely be there and will put everything on the table," he said.
The UCI reacted strongly to WADA's offer on Thursday to hold the summit, viewing it as criticism of its own handling of anti-doping procedures.
Tour de France organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and the UCI have been at odds since 2005 when the ASO refused, along with organisers of the Tour of Spain and Giro d'Italia, to join the UCI-Pro Tour.
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