Hein Verbruggen obituary

1941-2017

Dutchman Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI and Olympic Committee member, died a fighter. The 75-year-old pushed cycling into its current modern Worldtour era and defended himself vigorously through scandals, but lost his battle with leukaemia on Tuesday evening, June 14.

The UCI president from 1991 to 2005 remained in love with cycling, watching Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) battle Richie Porte (BMC Racing) and Chris Froome (Sky) in the final Critérium du Dauphiné stages over his last weekend.

Verbruggen, from Helmond near Eindhoven, was born on June 21, 1941. Working in marketing for US food giant Mars, he found his way into cycling. He served the Dutch federation and presided over the now-defunct Fédération Internationale de Cyclisme Professionnel, or FICP. He rolled it into the modern-day UCI, saw to professionals competing in the 1996 Olympics and introduced the Protour — forerunner of the Worldtour — series.

“The UCI was paralysed for 25 years,” Verbruggen told Sportcal in May. “I had to fight hard for a year to dismantle the professional and amateur bodies and concentrate everything into the UCI.”

“He brought cycling under professional management,” subsequent UCI president, Pat Mcquaid told CW. “He fought [Tour de France organiser] ASO to introduce the Worldtour. It changed team budgets from two to four million to what is today, €15 to €20 million a year.”

EPO use and blood transfusions were widespread when Verbruggen was president and when the US Anti-doping Authority stripped Lance Armstrong of seven Tour de France titles in 2012 it also accused Verbruggen of covering up doping and corruption. A 2015 independent report commissioned by current president Brian Cookson, failed to find direct evidence.

In true Verbruggen fighting spirit, he wrote to CW this January: “With all we know about what has been going on in other federations, it is time to set the record straight as to the UCI and anti-doping. We have always been the leading anti-doping federation.”

Mcquaid took over in 2005 and held office until Cookson ousted him in 2013. Verbruggen remained the honorary president and chaired the coordination committee for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He leaves behind an ex-wife and two sons.