Cycling:Pressure is mounting on the International Cycling Union's (UCI) leadership with the governing body plunged into fresh controversy for disbanding its own inquiry into the Lance Armstrong drugs scandal.
The independent commission today said neither the UCI nor other stakeholders had provided sufficient co-operation to allow it to function.
Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has accused the UCI's leaders of deceit and arrogance for scrapping its inquiry, and the row puts Pat McQuaid, the Irish president of cycling's governing body, once more in the firing line.
His decision to terminate the independent commission followed weeks of wrangling with the Wada over its powers and whether those who testified could receive an amnesty.
The central issue of the inquiry concerned two donations by disgraced drugs cheat Armstrong to the governing body, and whether there was any complicity by the UCI in covering up his doping.
The UCI yesterday announced it was scrapping the inquiry in favour of a 'truth and reconciliation' process. McQuaid claimed Wada had agreed to this - something denied by the agency.
Wada president John Fahey said: "The UCI has again chosen to ignore its responsibility to the sport of cycling in completing such an inquiry and has determined to apparently deflect responsibility for the doping problem in its sport to others.
"UCI has publicly announced that Wada has agreed to work with it on some form of truth and reconciliation. This is not only wrong in content and process, but again deceitful.
"Wada has not and will not consider partaking in any venture with UCI while this unilateral and arrogant attitude continues."
A statement from the commission also pointed the finger at McQuaid.
It said: "Pat McQuaid stated that the UCI 'will co-operate fully with the commission'... and urged all other interested stakeholders to do the same. Neither the UCI nor interested stakeholders have provided sufficient co-operation to enable the commission to do its job. This failure to co-operate makes our task impossible."
The pressure group Change Cycling Now (CCN) has also weighed in and called for the UCI's leadership including McQuaid to be removed.
A CCN statement read: "The unilateral decision to disband the independent commission set up to review the UCI's own management of anti-doping procedures, is a rank and disgraceful manipulation of power by a governing body concerned only with self-preservation.
"Change Cycling Now today calls on the general sport of cycling, its national federations and other global stakeholders to enforce the removal of a manipulative and contemptible administration that is content to drag cycling further into disrepute in order to safeguard the positions of its leaders.
"As soon as it became apparent that the commissioners had escaped its covert control, the UCI simply dismantled the whole process rather than risk being unmasked."
McQuaid said last night that Wada's refusal to participate had made the decision to scrap the commission necessary.
He added: "We have decided that a truth and reconciliation process is the best way to examine the culture of doping in cycling in the past and to clear the air so that cycling can move forward.
"We have therefore decided to disband the independent commission with immediate effect."
CCN founder Jaimie Fuller called the UCI's statement "an odorous mismash of self-serving misinformation".
He added: "There can surely be no doubt that the president and his senior colleagues must now be removed from office."