In an interview with the Dutch paper, Vrij Nederland, Hein Verbruggen states that he initiated UCI-policy to warn riders with suspect values.

One of the riders to be warned by UCI was Lance Armstrong. In 2001 the international federation notified him about his values being suspect, even though Verbruggen kept on defending Armstrong publicly.

“It was hard for me to the extent that you know more than you can say. You have questions but you can’t express it publicly,” Hein Verbruggen says in the interview. The Dutchman was president of the UCI from 1991-2005.

According to the Dutch paper confidential papers show that top-riders and team managers were invited to come to the UCI headquarters in Switzerland where UCI’s chief doctor Mario Zorzoli gave them information about the suspect values found. Other riders were called, either by Zorzoli or by Lon Schattenberg who was Dutch member of the UCI anti-doping commission.

Karsten Kroon confirms to Vrij Nederland that Lon Schattenberg called him in 2004 to inform him about his abnormal blood values. At that time Kroon was riding for the Rabobank cycling team.

Hein Verbruggen claims that UCI tried to persuade the riders to stop taking performance enhancing drugs adding that the fact, that this policy could reduce the chance of catching cheaters doesn’t interest him.

“You might convince them not to use doping anymore or you might not,” he says.