Hein Verbruggen did not remain silent for long. The former president of the UCI, implicated by an independent commission for having endorsed the doping practices of Lance Armstrong, counterattacks. He contests the commission's report, which he considers incorrect. “Most of the commission's positions are based on statements from interviewed but unidentified people rather than on documented evidence,” writes the Dutchman. He also criticizes Brian Cookson, the president of the UCI, for refusing to meet him. “I'm afraid I have to conclude that direct and courageous confrontation is not its best quality,” suggests Hein Verbruggen. Reaction from Brian Cookson: “I was elected to change the way the UCI conducted itself and therefore will not allow myself to be drawn into this type of public controversy.”
— Published on April 21, 2015
