President of the UCI Brian Cookson can’t do anything to reduce or overrule the doping ban Lance Armstrong has received by the USADA, even if he cooperates or attend the Cycling Independent Reform Commision. The Commision has been made to investigate a possible cover up in several doping cases by the UCI.

Brian Cookson will not exclude a possible reduction, but will not be the UCI that takes the decision.  

“It all depends on what information Lance has and what he's able to reveal," Cookson said according to Cyclingnews.com. "Actually that's not going to be in my hands. He's been sanctioned by USADA.”

“They would have to agree to any reduction in his sanction based on the validity and strength of the information that he provided. If they're happy, if WADA are happy, then I will be happy."

Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France from 1998-2005, but this wasn’t on the right conditions as he was doped in all of his victories. In October 2012, Armstrong got his 7 Tour titles taken by the American anti-doping authorities USADA. He was still in denial even though he was convicted, but the truth couldn’t be hidden forever and he confessed to doping in January in an interview with Opera Winfrey.

Brian Cookson says that the commission is independent from the UCI and it is not his job to talk to Armstrong. He won’t take part in anything that has something to do with the new-established commission.

''He won't get a phone call from me,'' Cookson said, according to Cyclingnews.com. ''I am deliberately not speaking to anyone about what [people] may or may not contribute to the commission. That's the job of the commission. It's independent. It's impartial.”

The commission is the second attempt by the UCI to find out whether or not they have hidden anything in doping cases. The last commission collapsed under former president Pat McQuaid, but Cookson wanted to try once again. In the commission is Swiss politician Dick Marty, CAS arbitrator Ulrich Haas and military officer Peter Nicholson.

''They will open up for business as soon as they can get all the administration sorted,” Cookson concludes “And Lance will be able to contact them just the same as everybody else.”