John Fahey, the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), had warned last week that cycling and weightlifting must clean up their acts or risk being expelled from the Olympics.

 

But Pat McQuaid, the Irish president of the UCI, said: "It isn't Mr Fahey's job to decide who is in the Olympic programme.

 

"Up to now we have always had support from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and, in particular, from the President, Jacques Rogge."

 

The Tour de France has suffered for several years from doping scandals which have cast a long, dark shadow over the sport.

 

McQuaid said: "Why should the UCI or the sport of cycling be thrown out of the Olympic Games?

 

"We saw wonderful road races [in Beijing] in a wonderful setting.

 

"We are watching magnificent track racing.

 

"Cycling brings a huge amount to the Olympic Games.

 

"If Mr Fahey wants to make statements such as that, he should [look] a little bit further to some other sports and comment on them as well because their statistics aren't different than the UCI's statistics."

 

Britain, who have dominated the track cycling having so far won five of the seven gold medals available in the Laoshan Velodrome, are strongly anti-drugs and the team regularly undergo blood tests to guarantee that they are clearn.

 

A number of cyclists were caught during the Tour de France using a drug called CERA, the third generation of Erythropoietin (EPO).

 

McQuaid said: "I think it's a very, very strong message to the rest of the peloton that you don't listen to the quasi-doctors who tell you this product is undetectable.

 

"There are some guys who are prepared to take the big risk for the Tour de France.

 

"But I think everybody in the cycling family will agree that the racing was good, that the winners were good and that they were credible.

 

"I do genuinely believe that a large portion of the peloton is clean."