Phill Bates, a UCI committee member (and organiser of the East Coast tour in October each year), said Australia was widely recognised along with England and Canada, as the country most determined to eliminate drug usage in cycling.
He said "The sport of cycling is very clean and we have enjoyed great success with Heiko Salzwedel [national road coach] and Charlie Walsh [national track coach] taking the sport to new levels at the world championships a few months ago where we won three senior titles and six junior titles."
"But unfortunately some individuals can't keep pace with that level of competition. Overseas, though, Australian cyclists are recognised for their achievements and Stewart won't even rate a mention because he wasn't a national level cyclist."
Bates's opinion of the international effects were endorsed by Heiko Salzwedel who said it would be unfair to taint Australia's hard won reputation because of the foolish actions of a minor hobby cyclist.
Stewart who is 27, is not in the national team or the Australian Institute of Sport elite squad, was caught using steroids when tested in the Alpine Classic in Victoria in November.
He was the winner of the Classic (hardly a minor hobby cyclist by the way!!) but he will be stripped of the victory, and Dutch cyclist Max van Heeswijk will be installed as the winner. Stewart will appear before the Australian Cycling Federation's medical tribunal next Tuesday, where his penalty will be decided.
It will probably be a domestic ban of two years and an international ban of at least one year.
ACF President, Ray Godkin said Stewart has apologised for his offence which has embarrassed Australian cycling. He said the ACF had to concentrate on educating those outside the national squad.
"I am convinced our elite people are very well educated on the ramifications of drugs and the damage they can cause. But I think the lesser ones are the ones we should be looking at."
This "mano a mano" will take the form of two pursuit matches. The first will be over three laps, about 900 meters in all. The second will be over the championship distance of 4000 metres. The total result of the two matches, Omnium, will decide the result.
Olano will return from training in South Africa mid-January and it is possible that he is in better condition than Indurain who because of a slight cold has been unable to train as planned. This will also be the first time to see the new Banesto jersey with the rider's name on the shoulder.
This will be the seventeenth edition of Euskadi Six Hour. It was first held in 1979, with Svendsen and Bausager from Denmark as winners. Besides the match Indurain-Olano there will also be a full track programme with the some of the world's best track riders; Madison, elimination, points and Kierin, during the six hours between 3 and 9 PM.