(BOA) for leaving him out of the Pan American Games team which will travel to Argentina next month.

Looby claimed that he had met all the requirements for selection and should have been included in the squad along with fellow Bermudian cyclist Elliott Hubbard, currently living and racing in France.

Hubbard, who represented the Island at last year's Commonwealth Games, was virtually an automatic choice, but Looby, largely seen as a rising talent with only a few top class races under his belt, was denied a place.

"The problem is that I'm not going because they (BOA) claim that I haven't given them enough paperwork. But it's just a lot of political nonsense going on,'' said a clearly disgruntled Looby. "I have all the paperwork, but apparently it's not the way they like it.

"The qualifying rules said that I had to finish in the top 25 percent of a recognised international event featuring professional as well as category one and two riders. And I did that.'' However, problems were said to have arisen when Looby could only present a handwritten list of results from the 1994 East I Regional Road Race Championships, signed by race promoter Michael Norton, that showed him in 12th place out of 109 cyclists.

When this list was rejected the rider attempted to fortify his case, producing a typed letter from Norton which confirmed his placing.

"Just because a document is not typed does not make it unofficial. When a president writes something and signs it, it automatically becomes official,'' said Looby. "Furthermore, Mike Cherry (BOA committee member), after receiving the letter, spoke to the guy (Norton) and got confirmation vocally, yet it still isn't enough...it's crazy.'' Looby also accused the BOA of having double standards, claiming that Hubbard was allowed to go to the Commonwealth Games even though his race results were not supplied until after the Games.

"For Elliott they only received a call from the French Federation and that was enough, yet I get the run-around.

"It's just an example of the in-house double standards that go on.'' BOA president Austin Woods indicated that Looby's claims were false and that no credible documentation had been received.

"Where are the documents?'' asked Woods. "He (Looby) keeps claiming that he has them, but we need to see them.

"All he's done is gotten this guy to sign a letter to say what he's done, but we have to see the actual list of results.

"He said that he had this race in July, so why does he not have the documents yet. It's something he has to sort out with his federation.'' Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Looby said he would continue to move forward and his failure to make the team would not be a deterrent.

"It doesn't discourage me. It only adds fuel to the fire that I have to do better.'' MacInnis Looby