British cyclist David Millar today called for UCI honorary president Hein Verbruggen to quit in the wake of the Lance Armstrong doping revelations.
A damning report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency branded Armstrong a serial drug taker at the centre of a systematic programme of doping by the US Postal team during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Verbruggen was president of cycling’s governing body, the UCI, at that time and last year insisted the seven-time Tour de France winner had “never, never, never” used doping. The Dutchman is still honorary president and on the UCI’s management committee.
Millar thinks Verbruggen should quit, claiming it was obvious to everyone in the sport at the time that drug taking was rife among almost all of the top cyclists.
“The UCI have to accept they must carry some responsibility,” said Millar, who served a two-year ban after admitting to doping in 2004. “They had all the blood data, the medical reports, it was part of the culture of the sport and in the big races the majority of riders were doing it on drugs.
“The first step for the UCI is that Verbruggen must be removed. It was under his presidency it was at its worst and yet there were all these denials coming from the UCI.
“He doesn’t have to commit hari kari, he should just admit that mistakes were made.”
The UCI said today they are examining the 1,000-page USADA report and will give their response to it within the next three weeks.
