Former pro cyclists Lance Armstrong and Michael Rasmussen are the latest to criticise UCI president David Lappartient, who has called for former dopers to be completely excluded from the sport.
In an interview with Luxemburger Wort Lappartient commented that 'former dopers have no place in the sport of cycling. To say anything else is hypocritical.
'All cyclists must stand for one goal: Cycling must be credible, otherwise everything is lost.'
''There are riders who doped themselves in their era and who are not welcome in the current cycling environment. They have inflicted immense damage on sport and have to live with the consequences.'
Lappartient's comments were in reference to former Tinkoff-Saxo team manager Bjarne Riis – who admitted the use of performance enhancing drugs in his 1996 Tour de France victory – and his aim to bring Team Virtu Cycling to the WorldTour.
Lappartient has subsequently been criticised for his comments, with both Armstrong and Rasmussen replying to the UCI president.
In a tweet, Armstrong wrote 'Urgent - cycling is going to need a shitload of people ASAP to manage teams, coach riders, drive in the caravan, manage/organise events, commentate on TV and even work @UCI_cycling.
'Send resumes to @DLappartient.' Armstrong added, tagging the UCI president in the tweet.
Rasmussen echoed Armstrong's sentiments with Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, suggesting that if Lappartient was serious about doping 'he could have started cleaning up his own French ranks when he was president of the French cycling union.'
'What about Contador and his talent team? Or Valverde and his talent team in Murcia? And at home there are Michael Skelde, Nicki Sørensen, Brian Holm. There are a myriad of people who, according to Lappartient's opinion, are not welcome,'
'You start to fear that Lappartient only supplies what Cookson delivered for four years – hot air.'
Previous comments on motor doping made by Lappartient have faced similar criticisms, with EF-Drapac team manager Jonathan Vaughters suggesting that the UCI president is too 'focused on popularising himself'.