In an interview with the Sunday Morning Herald, UCI President Brian Cookson has attacked sports that believe they have no issues with doping, saying "There's sports that have a doping problem and are trying to do something about it. Then there are sports that have a doping problem and are in denial about it."

Cookson was elected UCI President in September in Florence, during the World Championships and he has already begun to take a fierce stance against doping.

The Briton wants others sports to take on his strict approach in order to improve.

"The kind of trouble that we're going through now, other sports are going to have to go through. They might not think it, but they are,"

He also spoke about the investigation that the UCI is carrying out into cycling’s past.

"If they [the allegations of cheating and fraud by UCI] prove to be true, the ramifications for those involved are potentially quite serious. We will pass it on to the relevant authorities if there's been fraud, and if there's been collusion that's illegal in terms of criminal law or civil law."

The UCI has approved reduced sentences for those who cooperate into their doping investigation and Cookson hopes that Lance Armstrong will come forward to give evidence on everything that he knows. Whether or not he would have his lifetime ban reduced is unclear.

 "The damage to his reputation is eating him, I think, but just as much the fact that he wants to compete in masters triathlons. I think he's probably sitting at home pretty bruised and thinking, 'Well, you know, I was a hero and now I'm not'. That's the lesson I think the world should learn from Lance Armstrong."

Armstrong, however, wrote a letter to Cyclingnews stating that he had not been contacted as of yet but that he still plans to stick to his guns and cooperate saying on Twitter:

"My position remains unchanged. I plan on cooperating openly & honestly w/ ANY UCI commission that contacts me."