The American makes the claims in an interview published in today's edition of Britain's Daily Mail, alleging that when he tested positive for a banned corticosteroid during the very first of his seven Tour de France victories in 1999, Verbruggen was actively involved in explaining it away with a backdated prescription for a saddle sore.

"What I remember was there being a problem," Armstrong told the Daily Mail.

"I'm not sure if it was a positive, but there were traces found.

"I don't know if it technically crossed the line.

"But anyway, it didn't matter.

"But the real problem was, the sport was on life support [after the 1998 Festina drugs scandal].

"And Hein just said, 'This is a real problem for me, this is the knockout punch for our sport, the year after Festina, so we've got to come up with something'.

"So we backdated the prescription."

The backdated prescription was signed by US Postal Service doctor Luis Garcia del Moral claiming a cream, containing the banned substance, had been given to Armstrong for a saddle sore and was accepted apparently without question by the UCI.

Lance Armstrong, visiting doping control during his victory in the 2004 Tour de France, claims former UCI President Hein Verbruggen was involved in ensuring he escaped testing positive during his seven consecutive victories in the race @AFP/Getty Images

Verbruggen, President of the UCI from 1991 to 2005 and an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, has always denied the UCI protected Armstrong.

Earlier this month, the Dutchman revealed that he had written to Armstrong asking him to make clear that he had not been involved in helping protect him during his career, claiming that he knew that they were not true.

But Armstrong claims in the interview with the Daily Mail that he has the evidence to "sink" Verbruggen in an inquiry that new UCI President Brian Cookson is planning to hold.

Armstrong's former team-mates Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton have both previously alleged that he had told them the UCI helped him cover up a erythropoietin (EPO) positive from the 2001 Tour of Switzerland.

Hein Verbruggen wrote to Lance Armstrong earlier this month urging him to help clear him, claiming that he knew it was not true he helped cover up drugs tests @AFP/Getty Images

But this is the first time Armstrong has made the allegations himself that senior officials at the world governing body were complicit in his doping.

"Don't think I'm protecting any guys after the way they treated me, that is ludicrous," the Texan says in the interview.

"I'm not protecting them at all.

"I have no loyalty towards them.

"In the proper forum I'll tell everyone what they want to know.

"I'm not going to lie to protect these guys.

"I hate them.

"They threw me under the bus.

"I'm done with them."

The interview took place in Celebration, Florida, where Armstrong met with former team US Postal Service soigneur, Emma O'Reilly.

O'Reilly gave evidence that the team cheated and helped expose the 1999 Tour de France positive and cover up, resulting in him calling her a "prostitute" and an "alcoholic whore".

"I never expected to see Emma," Armstrong told the Daily Mail.

I wanted to talk to her.

"I felt it was necessary to have a conversation because there were definitely people that got caught up in this story who deserved an apology from me."

Lance Armstrong has apologised for calling his former masseuse Emma O'Reilly an "alcoholic whore" and a "prostitute" @ITV

Pat McQuaid, the Irishman Cookson replaced as President of the UCI and a close ally of Verbruggen, could also find himself in the firing line if Armstrong gives evidence to an independent inquiry.

"The UCI's Independent Commission of Inquiry is in the process of being set up and we are in advanced discussions with stakeholders on its terms of reference to allow full investigation of any allegations relating to doping and wrongdoing at the UCI," a statement from the world governing body said today. 

"Further announcements will be made in due course.

"The Commission will invite individuals to provide evidence and we would urge all those involved to come forward and help the commission in its work in the best interests of the sport of cycling.

"This investigation is essential to the well-being of cycling in fully understanding the doping culture of the past, the role of the UCI at that time and helping us all to move forward to a clean and healthy future."

The IOC, however, refused to condemn Verbruggen, a close friend of former President Jacques Rogge. 

"It is hard to give any credibility to the claims of a cyclist who appears to have misled the world for decades," read an IOC statement.

"We await proper considered outcomes from this investigation rather than rumour and accusation."

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