Johan Bruyneel has hit back after the UCI spoke out against his presence in the Tour de France paddock last week.
Lance Armstrong’s former sports director was a guest on a Belgian TV programme, Vive le Vélo, and was seen at the race in restricted areas wearing accreditation.
In response to Bruyneel’s presence at the race, the world governing body released a statement on Tuesday evening reiterating that the Belgian was “not authorised” to be given accreditation having been banned for life from any activity related to the sport in 2018.
“In accordance with Article 10.14 of the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, Mr Bruyneel is banned for life from taking part in any activity related to cycling,” the UCI statement read.
“While he is free to attend a cycling event registered on the UCI International Calendar – such as the Tour de France – as a regular spectator, he is strictly prohibited from participating in the event in any role or capacity, or from accessing areas that are closed to the public. This includes, in particular, areas of the Tour de France that require accreditation.”
The UCI contacted the Tour de France organiser’s ASO, for urgent clarification on why Bruyneel received a pass.
In response to the statement, Bruyneel hit back on X and personally attacked the UCI president, David Lappartient. “It seems that the president of the UCI, David ‘The Selfie King’ Lappartient didn’t like the fact that I visited the Tour de France last week,” Bruyneel wrote. “I’ve said already many times, also to him personally, that I find his attitude being one of hypocrisy. After receiving this press statement, I have contacted him personally again, but he hasn’t responded (yet).
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“I hereby want to reiterate how pleasant it felt to have been present at the Tour and really appreciated the many warm welcome gestures from the many people I have met at this occasion.”
“I’m waiting for your reply to my messages on my WhatsApp,” he added, before going on to tag Lappartient’s personal X account in his message.
ASO are yet to issue their own statement on the matter, although the host of the talk show, Karl Vannieuwkerke, said on Wednesday that Bruyneel was accredited by ASO after Vive le Vélo had applied through “normal procedures.”
“We applied for accreditation just as we do for every guest,” Vannieuwkerke said. “And there was never any objection.”
Bruyneel was initially banned from the sport for ten years after being involved in the doping ring operated by the US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. An investigation into both of the teams resulted in Lance Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Bruyneel appealed the initial ban, issued by the American Arbitration Association, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport then ruled that he should be banned for life from the sport after considering the appeal.
