While both Armstrong and Bruyneel are disgraced, their comments reflect a wider growing hostility towards Cookson.
As soon as news broke that Brian Cookson would face an election for the UCI presidency, Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel were quickly out of the traps.
Both tweeted their objections to Cookson continuing in the role.
And Armstrong even coined a new acronym, ABC. It stands for 'anybody but Cookson'.
Bruyneel suggested that "for the benefit of getting elected" to the UCI presidency four years ago, Cookson went on "a mission to blame the past".
He also said Cookson had promised to be "the Messiah".
Their comments came after David Lappartient declared he would run against Cookson and seek the UCI presidency himself.
From France, he is the current UCI vice-president and is president of the European Cycling Union.
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ABC (Anybody But Cookson). https://t.co/irmwxKksnZ
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) June 20, 2017
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The same @BrianCooksonUCI who, for the benefit of getting elected, was on a mission to blame the past and promised being the Messiah...? https://t.co/zuQqZbQVzA
— Johan Bruyneel (@JohanBruyneel) June 15, 2017
While both Armstrong and Bruyneel are disgraced and both are banned from cycling, their comments reflect a wider growing hostility towards Cookson.
He defeated Pat McQuaid four years ago but since then has proven a disappointing president.
Cookson suffered something of a hammer blow in Britain in recent days in his bid to win the UCI election in September.
The head of the parliamentary committee that examined the culture in British cycling said UK Sport should rescind its support of Cookson in his bid for re-election.
Cookson is the former president of British Cycling and was in that position from 1996 to 2013.
The parliamentary committee that examined the federation during that period, and in the years since, found a “culture of fear”.
Chair of the committee Damian Collins MP said Cookson was in a senior position in British Cycling during a period in which serious problems were now known to have existed.
He argued that made Cookson unsuitable for re-election to head the UCI for a second four-year term.
"In light of the findings of the independent review, I do not believe that Brian Cookson should be re-elected as head of the UCI," he said.
"He certainly shouldn't receive any support from UK Sport for his campaign."
However, Cookson has defended his recorded saying he had done nothing to be “ashamed of or concerned about” during his time at British Cycling.
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