Johan Bruyneel argued that with or without doping, Lance Armstrong would have been the strongest rider of his generation, and USADA's claim that his US Postal team was running the most "sophisticated, specialized, and successful doping program" in the history of the sport He again disputed the claim.

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories in 2012, and both Bruyneel and Armstrong received lifetime bans for their involvement in the US Postal doping conspiracy.

"Lance's character was assassinated. This collective demonization is easy to do, but impossible to undo. It's hard to accept, especially because there was so much hypocrisy," Bruyneel told Eurosport (opens in new tab). In the history of cycling, all the big champions, with or without doping, have always been the best of their generation. And Lance was no exception. Tell me what has changed in the cycling world since Lance's "Nothing."

Bruyneel denied that Armstrong had used a more sophisticated doping program than his rivals during his string of Tour successes. Only twice in Armstrong's Tour career did he win by less than six minutes, in 2003 and 2005.

"The problem is that USADA claimed this was the greatest doping system in the history of the sport. That is total bullshit! There were much worse things done in Russia and East Germany.

"Lance did no more than any other athlete. I would even say that he did less, especially compared to the athletes who were caught in Operacion Puerto with Dr. Fuentes, namely Mayo, Basso, Ulrich, and Hamilton, who were Armstrong's biggest rivals."

Bruyneel was initially handed a 10-year ban by USADA in 2014, but his sanction was raised to a lifetime ban after WADA successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Bruyneel, a Belgian, said he was interested in returning to the sport, but his ban acknowledged that this was not possible. He complained that he and Armstrong were considered persona non grata in the professional cycling community.

"It's not that they are interested in coming back, it's simply acceptable. They have degraded us to the point that we are persona non grata everywhere," Bruyneel said.

"There are a lot of people with whom I've always had a good relationship, but if I race, they won't come to take pictures with me.

He also claimed that Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme and UCI president David Lapartient were "two major obstacles" to his and Armstrong's "rehabilitation."

"They both say they don't want to hear Armstrong's name. On the other hand, they don't hesitate to take selfies with others ......." But this is all political."

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