Don't call it a comeback: Lance Armstrong 2.0 came back in 2009(Image credit: Sirotti)
Senator John Kerry and Lance Armstrong at the 2005 Tour de France(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Lance Armstrong in 1993(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
UCI president Hein Verbruggen with Lance Armstrong in 2002(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Expect to see Lance Armstrong in suit and tie this fall if his case goes to arbitration(Image credit: AFP Photo)
The UCI has said it will make contact with Lance Armstrong once the finite details of their independent commission have been confirmed. This is expected in the next few weeks, possible before the new year.
Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and handed a lifetime ban as a result of the USADA’s Reasoned Decision in 2012. He fought vigorously to halt the American anti-doping association’s investigation into doping practices that took place at the US Postal team but eventually decided not to fight their charges. He admitted to doping at the start of this year but last week confirmed to Cyclingnews - and later the BBC – that he would be willing to cooperate with authorities if he were to be treated fairly. A number of Armstrong’s former teammates were charged with doping offences but handed reduced six month bans for their cooperation in USADA's investigation.
According to the Press Assocation news agency, a UCI spokesman said: “We will be making contact with him [Armstrong] once the exact terms of the UCI Independent Commission have been agreed."
“He and other high-profile riders will be treated the same as any other witness. We need to get everything out into the open so that the sport can understand its mistakes, learn from the past and restore its credibility. We hope Lance Armstrong can play a part in this process but ultimately it will be down to him and his conscience as to how constructive he is willing to be.”
Last week Armstrong told Cyclingnews that he had been singled out saying, “Was there collateral damage with other guys? Yes. Again, it’s all my fault. Of course I’m the guy they went after. Of course. It wouldn’t make any sense to go after anyone else. I get that. All I’m saying is that the initial claim from USADA that they're trying to make a comprehensive claim to clean up cycling isn’t true.”
The UCI’s independent commission is set to work alongside WADA who are currently holding their congress in South Africa.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
