Armstrong: Lynching me won't solve cycling's problems
Lance Armstrong has claimed he has been made a fall guy for cycling's doping problems and labelled International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid "pathetic".
The disgraced cyclist is also adamant a truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) is the only way forward for all endurance sports.
Armstrong told Cyclingnews: "Publicly lynching one man and his team will not solve this problem.
"My generation was no different than any other. The 'help' has evolved over the years but the fact remains that our sport is damn hard, the Tour was invented as a stunt, and very tough mother******* have competed for a century and all looked for advantages.
"From hopping on trains 100 years ago to EPO now. No generation was exempt or 'clean'.
"When I was on speaking terms with ol' Pat McQuaid many, many months ago I said: 'Pat, you better think bold here. A full blown, global, TRC is our sport's best solution.' He wanted to hear nothing of it.
"The UCI has no place at the table. Pat [McQuaid] is just in constant CYA [Cover Your Ass] mode. Pathetic."
In his first interview since his public confession to Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong said an amnesty is necessary for witnesses, "otherwise no one will show up. No one."
The UCI's management committee, including British Cycling's president Brian Cookson, will discuss the fall-out from its decision to scrap an independent inquiry at a meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday.
It comes with mounting pressure on the UCI's leadership with WADA accusing them of "deceit and arrogance" for disbanding its inquiry.
The central issue of the inquiry concerned two donations by Armstrong to the governing body, and whether there was any complicity by the UCI in covering up his doping.
It has already been admitted that the UCI warned Armstrong of a "suspicious" blood result in 2001.
