ARMSTRONG.
Much has been said and written about my "friendship" with Lance Armstrong. And forgive those who think that it has never been photographed with other runners who were not Armstrong. The thousands of photographs that portray me with other athletes seem to be, by strange coincidence, all disappeared.
Allow me once again to be very clear. I've never been a "friend" of Lance Armstrong or other riders or team manager. The only rider who has ever come to my house was Greg Lemond, who with his father came to me for help because his employer is not paying him his salary.
I never said that Lance Armstrong has never doped : I just said, so that everyone could understand, that Armstrong has never tested positive. The fact that it is never tested positive for the UCI nor the French control authorities, nor by the USADA, nor WADA, or with any other organization makes ridiculous accusations of "coverage" that have been leveled against me. UCI has never protected Armstrong.
Any decision on Armstrong and any other racer has been taken in accordance with established facts and scientific means available at that time. UCI The position on the trail of corticosteroids in its champions in the Tour de France 1999, the file relating to its champions of the Tour de Suisse 2001 it was already clarified. I will not waste your time to repeat what has been said over the years.
I recently wrote to Lance Armstrong to express the disgust aroused in me the cynical game he plays, refusing to make a public statement to refute the allegations made by his fellow team, Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, who had said that they had nothing to fear if they were positive results, because he could not ask the UCI to take matters and cover their positivity. From what I understand by reading their testimonies, Armstrong had told them to be positive, even though no evidence of positivity has never been produced. Landis and Hamilton If they are right, I can only assume that the objective of Armstrong was to convince both of them that had tested positive and had managed to remove tests to assure them that he could do it again, even for them.
When these allegations were published for the first time, I wrote an email to Armstrong, I asked him if he had made those statements to his teammates, stressing the seriousness of his words and the damage it would cause to the UCI, my integrity and my reputation and the anti-doping laboratory in Lausanne. Armstrong me immediately replied: "I have never been found positive, so I do not see why I should "invent" stories like this, it would be a really stupid idea. It is 100% false. " The fact that Armstrong has chosen not to respond to my recent letter and not to speak publicly about what he wrote in his e-mail in June 2011, it is really very painful.
I wonder, given the Their testimonies, like his teammates - who have revealed a deep knowledge of anti-doping rules and procedures - it was apparently so naive as to never try to ask him what he meant by "fix" things by anti-doping agencies like WADA USADA, AFLD, etc.. Let us not lose sight, then, the fact that Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, who are now applauded for their courage, have been exposed and sanctioned by the UCI. And without the UCI their deception would never have emerged.
With the benefit of hindsight, and in light of the confession of Armstrong, I admit that it would have been wiser not to accept donations on his part. The UCI has clearly accepted the donation in good faith to finance its fight against doping. There is no relationship between the test and the two donations to the UCI Armstrong: Armstrong has never tested positive, there has never been any positive test to hide.
COMMISSION.
I have tried in this letter, to restore the truth, not having had the opportunity to do so before the Independent Commission that the UCI was forced to stop and that he had a mandate to carry out an investigation into doping in cycling and the UCI management.
I've never been afraid to defend my name and my reputation in court: I have never lost a case. I invite you to seriously question how I could do it, if I had something to hide.
There comes a time when enough is enough. I reached this point. If, after reading this mine, you will continue to doubt my role in UCI, much worse. I will not do anything to make you change your mind. Starting today, these problems do not concern me more and, despite what has happened over the last year, it is with a sense of pride and satisfaction that I look back at everything I've done paying my service to cycling in a voluntary. cherish in their hearts the many personal friendships that I got this sport and I am deeply grateful for the friendship and support I received during the last year.
Sincerely, Hein Verbruggen
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram