Johan Bruyneel hits back at UCI over Tour visit, considers legal action

In a statement, the UCI cited article 10.14 of the World Anti-Doping Code, which forbids suspended individuals from accessing any non-public areas or participating in any cycling-related role - regardless of the context.

The response didn’t sit well with Bruyneel, who reacted via X. “It seems that the president of the UCI, David “The Selfie King” Lappartient, didn’t like the fact that I visited the Tour de France last week,” he wrote, calling the UCI president’s stance “hypocritical.” He added that he had attempted to reach out privately to Lappartient after receiving the UCI’s statement but received no reply.

Vive le Vélo host Karl Vannieuwkerke addressed the issue on Tuesday night’s broadcast. He explained that Bruyneel’s accreditation had been arranged through normal procedures. “We applied for accreditation just as we do for every guest," he said. "And there was never any objection. Bruyneel was simply accredited by ASO."

Vannieuwkerke defended the editorial choice to include Bruyneel in the show. “He’s become a public figure, with a podcast and a voice in cycling. We invited him to talk about that past - and he did. He answered all questions and expressed regret over his attitude during those years.”

Tour de France organiser ASO has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Bruyneel reacted further on X on Wednesday evening, stating, " I can confirm that I attended the stage to Hautacam as an invited guest of the popular Belgian TV show Vive Le Vélo, where I participated as a guest speaker. That same morning, I also visited the Village Départ and the team bus area."

Bruyneel statement also stated that, "Mr. Lappartient saw fit to publicly condemn my attendance, issuing a strongly worded statement suggesting that, due to my life ban, I was not authorized to be at the event," and added that "It is clear to me that this is yet another personal attack. This is not the first time Mr Lappartient has taken aim at me in this way."

The statment also mentioned that Bruyneel will 'seek legal counsel' and that he plans 'to explore all available avenues to prove that Mr. Lappartient was wrong to issue such a declaration and take legal action against him if needed."