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The newly appointed UCI head, Brian Cookson, has said there has been no communication from Lance Armstrong regarding the disgraced Tour de France winner's possible participation in a "truth and reconciliation" process, but that the door is open to the American, who will have to be bound by the same terms as any other contributors. The Guardian understands, however, that Armstrong has been in contact with several media organisations as he plans his next move.
"Lance Armstrong has not been in touch with me," said Cookson at the weekend's Track World Cup in Manchester. "I don't want to talk about any individual, however significant. There will be an opportunity for anyone who wants to contribute, but it will be on terms dictated by Wada and it will be the same terms and conditions for everyone. We want to offer some degree of anonymity, and some names may have to be redacted in any final report."
As far as the historical reach for any "truth and reconciliation" process is concerned, Cookson says that it has yet to be decided, but although he is happy to come right up to the present day, "we can't go back to 1903" – the year when the Tour de France was founded. The UCI president says the biggest issue for him is the level of amnesty to be offered to those who come forward.
"It's difficult to do within the Wada code. If people have committed an offence, they are still guilty. I have a lot of sympathy for people who say, 'OK, it's outside the statute of limitations but that guy stole my career.'" On the anti-doping front, another priority with longer-term ramifications, Cookson says, is "to establish who is a fit and proper person to be involved in the running of a team".
Cookson added that the process of setting up an independent inquiry into the links between Armstrong and the UCI is proving "a bit slower than I might have hoped, but the devil is in the detail, and I don't want to be too hasty". He is hoping the process will be under way in the next two or three months. "We are nearly there, but I'm not going to be rushed into it," he said. "I'm very anxious not to step on anyone's toes and do something that has the assent of Wada and the international sporting world."
He added that the events that followed the formation a year ago of a commission of inquiry by his predecessor Pat McQuaid have made it clear that Wada and others have to be fully involved from the very beginning.
The computers and documents from the UCI offices in Aigle that were secured by the security firm Kroll within hours of Cookson being voted into office on 27 September are now being held in a secure safe at Kroll. "The only person who can release those documents is me, and I can only do that on the say-so of the independent commission. It will be in their hands."
One job that Cookson has had to do since then is reassure the UCI staff about the process, "that it's not about someone taking home paperclips from the office, but about alleged bribery, illicit payments etc. It's not that I think people have been dishonest, but if they have, we need to find out about it."
Other priorities on the UCI president's to-do list have been the formation of the commissions which will run the various arms of the sport – these will be announced in "the next 7-10 days, there will be a lot of changes". There is also to be a review of all the UCI's commercial activities; this will include a recent radical discussion document over the structure of professional cycling, which Cookson said "people shouldn't take as final".
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