The air between Hein Verbruggen and Brian Cookson is still not cleared. Yesterday the Dutchman claimed that a deal with the current UCI president had been reached and that their legal battle had come to an end. However, Cookson has refused those claims.

"I indeed met with Mr Hein Verbruggen last summer," UCI president Cookson writes in a statement that he posted on Twitter. "We came to a confidential agreement which was to ensure, amongst other things, that he would stop using his influence to criticize and cause trouble for the UCI. Since Mr Verbruggen never respected his commitments, the agreement is considered null.”

The Insidethegames website claimaed that Verbruggen had received a compensation of approximately forty thousand euro but Cookson also denies those claims. "No money has ever been paid to Mr Verbruggen since I became President.”

Verbruggen and Cookson have been at odds after the publication of the report of the Cycling Independent Reform Commission CIRC was published. Cookson asked the Dutchman to give back his title as honorary president of the UCI. Verbruggen denies the accusations that he has covered up doping during his tenure as president of the global federation.