Exclusive -- Cycling Chief at Track World Championships

(ATR) Pat McQuaid, president of UCI, the International Cycling Union, tells Around the Rings preparations for London 2012 are well advanced and he expects "huge crowds and big support".

Speaking to ATR at the cycling world track championships in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, the Irishman said he was pleased with the UCI's progress on work for London.

This week, LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe and British cyclists opened the 5km Olympic mountain bike course at Hadleigh Farm in Essex, east of London. Last month, the velodrome was unveiled - the first Olympic Park venue to be completed for the Games.

McQuaid noted that the UCI had cleared another major hurdle after recently finalizing the Olympic cycling time trial route and road race course. "I think they'll both be great," he said.

Both the men’s and women’s time trials will start and finish at Hampton Court Palace; the UCI chose the site after rejecting initial plans to stage the events in Regent's Park.

The men's road race gets underway on July 28, the first full day of competition at London 2012. The finish line for the course unveiled last month is in front of Buckingham Palace on The Mall.

"The [next] biggest challenge will be running the test events and tweaking different elements of the organization of the events and monitoring the qualification system so that we get a good, well-balanced and high level competition in all the events in London," he said.

Talking up the enthusiasm for British cycling, which spawned triple Olympic champion Chris Hoy and a host of gold medalists at Beijing, he said: "I think cycling won't have a problem. In the UK, for all events, for road, for the time trials, for the mountain biking, BMX and of course the track I there will be huge crowds and big support."

At the Omnisport Apeldoorn arena, where Team GB's women yesterday won gold in the team pursuit and silver in the team sprint, he also heaped praise on the London 2012 track cycling venue.

"It's a magnificent looking velodrome," he said.

"We won't know until after London Games if the velodrome is the best in the world. It depends on what level of competition we have and what world records are broken.

"It's certainly up there from a venue and building perspective but until we see it incompetition..."

Among highlights at the world track champs on Thursday were Britain's triple Olympic champion Chris Hoy in action in the men's individual sprint. "The Flying Scotsman" powered through the qualifiers to book a spot in today's semi-final where he will do battle with fellow Brit, Olympic silver medal winner Jason Kenny. The gold medal race is contested later today.

The track world champs in The Netherlands are one of the last big tests for riders before London 2012. Melbourne will host the 2012 worlds next April at the Hisense Arena.

McQuaid Wants CAS Decision that "Everyone can Believe In"

McQuaid explained to ATR the reason UCI appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ban Tour de France winner Alberto Contador for doping. The announcement came on Thursday.

The federation is unhappy with the decision of the Spanish Cycling Federation to clear Contador last month after the 28-year-old rider testedpositive for clenbuterol in the final days of the Tour de France last July. Contador claimed he inadvertently got the drug in his system after eating contaminated beef.

McQuaid said the UCI's lawyers had been studying the "complex" case for a month before Wednesday's decision to ask CAS to adjudicate on the matter.

"We feel that for the good of all sport, in particular cycling and for cycling fans and its family, it's important that we get a decision that everyone can believe in," he told ATR.

"Unfortunately what happened in Spain doesn't leave us with that impression. The perception is of political interference.

"First of all he got a one-year sanction [from the Spanish federation], then an appeal brought more evidence forward. The federation considering it came under a lot of pressure from different sources including the prime minister.

"Although they say it had no affect on their decision, the perception is that it did have," McQuaid added.

"I think it's important for us and for everybody [in sport] that we bring this case to a higher independent authority such as the Court of Arbitration of Sport and then we abide by what their ultimate decision is."

McQuaid hopes CAS makes a ruling in the Contador case in the next three months to avoid overshadowing this year's Tour de France.

If CAS rules in UCI's favor, Contador would become the second rider to be stripped of a Tour title after Floyd Landis, lost his 2006 victory. The Spaniard would likely get a two-year ban from competition.

Written by Mark Bisson.