Former president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Pat McQuaid has claimed that Lance Armstrong was made a "scapegoat" when he received a drugs ban.
Armstrong was banned from all professional sports and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012 after an investigation revealed that he had cheated throughout his time at the top of the sport.
The American caused controversy earlier this week by admitting that he would use drugs again if he could go back to 1995, but McQuaid maintains that the 43-year-old was treated unfairly.
"He was very much made a scapegoat, there was a witch hunt after Armstrong," McQuaid told BBC Radio 5 live.
"That's the way it was. USADA wanted a big name. They weren't really interested in the smaller riders and also they made deals with the smaller riders in order to get the information they needed on the big guys.
"I can have a certain sympathy because I don't think in sport, people in those situations, I think they should be treated equally."
McQuaid had initially claimed that Armstrong "had no place in cycling" when he was still in his role with the UCI.
Callum Mulvihill
