LONDON: David Lappartient, the head of the world cycling federation, has criticised admiring comments about cycling dope cheat Lance Armstrong from Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins, first British rider to have won tje Tour de France which the American conquered seven times before having his titles stripped, praised his predecessor in a new book about sporting heroes.

Lappartient, French president of the UCI, said: “Bradley Wiggins is Bradley Wiggins. He’s always said some strange things sometimes.

“When I saw those comments I thought it unbelievable. Wiggins won the Tour de France, he has been Olympic champion, he has been world champion and in supporting Lance Armstrong who has been banned for life for cheating, for me this isn’t acceptable to have a statement like this, specifically from a former winner of the Tour.

“I fully disagree with what he said, of course. How he can say that the rider is the archetype of a big tour champion if the guy won with everything we know about this.”

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