Come on down: Floyd Landis

[thehog]

Landis speaks: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/interview-floyd-landis-speaks-exclusively-to-cyclingnews

Good interview.

CN: After you tested positive did you think it was part of the game to deny your culpability? Why did you decide to finally tell the truth?

FL: Right from the outset in 2006 I went back and forth with what I should do. It was never as though I really wanted to be doing what I was doing and I understood the consequences it was going to have for other people. Some days I came very close to making up my mind to come clean and other days I would think about it and didn't want to put other people through it. It's not a black and white thing where it was fine with me for four years and then it wasn't anymore. There were many times when I came very close to doing it and because what I knew it would involve, not just for my own humiliation as I had already been through it, but for other people that were involved that had to deal with it. It was a complex decision that took a long time.

CN: Do you wish there was a way you could have come forward without implicating people?

FL: There was a way, but it would still be a lie. The story involves other people. That's the nature of the story and so to tell the story and try to fabricate a reason why it was just me wouldn't clear my conscience at all. I may have well not said anything - that's my way of thinking.

 

[NashbarShorts]

Floyd Interview: reactions?

So, what did ppl think of the "exclusive" Floyd interview on cyclingnews? I thought it wasn't bad, but wished the interviewer could have drilled down a bit more. For example, two questions I really wish had been asked:

1. When did you first dope? Was doping commonplace while you were in the US peloton? Did Team Mercury-Viatel dope during its forays into Europe?

2. You won the Tour in 2006, yet in 2009 (Ouch) you were utterly lousy. Why?...was this b/c you were riding clean? Can you tell us first-hand the tangible effect these drugs have -- did they boost you from Top 100 to yellow jersey, or perhaps only Top 15 to yellow?

Anyhow, I'd give the interiew at B+. Not bad, but more would have been nice. (Another example: the interviewer asks if Floyd's life falling apart was due to the '06 events. Floyd says, "Hard to say". Really? Your wife left you, dude! C'mon Mr. Journalist, drill down a bit deeper...)

 

[Tim_sleepless]

I dunno... for a story where the journo claimed he wasn't being judgemental, he sure was tossing up sympathetic answers as part of the questions...

 

[Berzin]

I wonder how far down Landis has to fall before anyone gives him credit for being the only rider with the cojones to do what he's doing.

He lied-yes. And everyone is thinking what a rat he is, and that he should pay all that money back he received from the Floyd Defense Fund.

It seems ironic that trying to buy back your soul from the Devil involves so much more devastation than the initial selling of it.

As for the interview, it seems honest. He's not as contrite as many would like, but he spoke honestly. I give him an A just for agreeing to the interview.

 

[Elegant Degenerate]

No much new there, was there? Not unless I missed something.

 

[fatandfast]

Both Nashabr and Berzin have points of interest. I wonder why he has not publicly outed everybody else who he claims to know was an active PED user. I also wonder why he doesn't want to put out yet another fire..what happened with the hacking? Did Dr. Baker hack or pay a hacker? Looking like what little assets that Landis has are in or near San Diego county I wonder if he doesn't want to sh-t where he eats. It will probably be one of the cycling hotbeds that he can find some work in a related industry. I think the article is pretty fair and I think Landis is candid and at the same time stale. Why is it important to only say a few names of guys who are riding? Lots of his old team mates and training partners are in S.Cal ,why not just blog all the names at once..guys with millions and other guys living in motor homes and alike..come on Landis just out everybody..just curious..word is your resume is showing up on HR desks at some fitness related companies. You saw what a half lie cost at Bahati don't do it to another company

 

[Anonymous]

He's still not comfortable

Maybe it is just his way of talking, but

1) He can't seem to say "doping", or "cheating" only "it"
2) He can't seem to say "lying", or "confess my crime", only "it"
3) Nearly every answer starts, "No, that's not it..."

It does not sound like he truely believes that "it" doping was wrong or that "it", comming clean, is an admission that he has been a cheat and a liar.

Floyd was and still is a flawed human being who appears to have no moral compass. I have always liked Floyd, warts and all.

 

[hrotha]

Reading that interview the feeling I get is that Landis is not outing other riders who he knows used PEDs because cleaning the sport, not to mention a personal vendetta against the cycling world, are not his primary motivations, as he doesn't seem to be particularly optimistic about the possibility of doing it. The impression I get is he's not trying to bring anybody down, just setting the record straight about his story. He sounds very honest in that interview.

edit:

It does not sound like he truely believes that "it" doping was wrong or that "it", comming clean, is an admission that he has been a cheat and a liar.

He doesn't believe it was wrong for any particular rider to dope at the time, obviously. Few people would.

 

[scribe]

Maybe it is just his way of talking, but

1) He can't seem to say "doping", or "cheating" only "it"
2) He can't seem to say "lying", or "confess my crime", only "it"
3) Nearly every answer starts, "No, that's not it..."

It does not sound like he truely believes that "it" doping was wrong or that "it", comming clean, is an admission that he has been a cheat and a liar.

Floyd was and still is a flawed human being who appears to have no moral compass. I have always liked Floyd, warts and all.

Undoubtedly, he is still on the hook for certain things. He is walking a fine line between the people and events he wants to 'out' and people/events he wants to protect

 

[Darryl Webster]

It read to me like a guy who philophicaly now grasps the importance of being true to ones self and being responsible for his own actions.
He`s comments about role models were spot on as were his views that it isnt a black and white issue and the banned list is somwhat unrealistic...id say the inclusion of many drugs that aren`t peds tells you that the list is partialy motivated by social ideology.
I`d also say heres a guy who`s grown up and doesnt give a xxxx if anyone believes him.
He`s telling the truth.

 

[THISISIT]

An awful lot of words to not really say much of anything at all.

I presume the jounalist wasn't allowed to ask him questions pertaining to the specifics of his knowledge of doping in cycling.

 

[Sasquatch]

His situation is all within the courts yeah? Perhaps that's why he couldn't talk about anything to do with the case on who doped?

 

[thehog]

Sounds like a carton of sour milk. He's trying to destroy cycling. Thats what I took fom the interview.

 

[Sasquatch]

I wonder how far down Landis has to fall before anyone gives him credit for being the only rider with the cojones to do what he's doing.

He lied-yes. And everyone is thinking what a rat he is, and that he should pay all that money back he received from the Floyd Defense Fund.

It seems ironic that trying to buy back your soul from the Devil involves so much more devastation than the initial selling of it.

As for the interview, it seems honest. He's not as contrite as many would like, but he spoke honestly. I give him an A just for agreeing to the interview.

They were my thoughts too when I first read it. It seemed like an honest interview. it was an honest unbiased assessment. Definatley more open than other stuff that has been said from Floyd IMO.

I feel the interviewer could have dug a bit deeper but would have been on a fine line when it came to huge personal stuff like his wife. I am surprised he sat down and gave an interview with what is going on atm.

 

[afoley]

He lied-yes. And everyone is thinking what a rat he is, and that he should pay all that money back he received from the Floyd Defense Fund.

Just how in the world is a guy going to make a spare million? I'd like to do it too!

Axel

 

[thehog]

Just how in the world is a guy going to make a spare million? I'd like to do it too!

Axel

Ummmmmm little yellow wristbands?

 

[bridgeman]

I could only get half way through it, and what a dofus picture CN put up.

 

[flicker]

Both Nashabr and Berzin have points of interest. I wonder why he has not publicly outed everybody else who he claims to know was an active PED user. I also wonder why he doesn't want to put out yet another fire..what happened with the hacking? Did Dr. Baker hack or pay a hacker? Looking like what little assets that Landis has are in or near San Diego county I wonder if he doesn't want to sh-t where he eats. It will probably be one of the cycling hotbeds that he can find some work in a related industry. I think the article is pretty fair and I think Landis is candid and at the same time stale. Why is it important to only say a few names of guys who are riding? Lots of his old team mates and training partners are in S.Cal ,why not just blog all the names at once..guys with millions and other guys living in motor homes and alike..come on Landis just out everybody..just curious..word is your resume is showing up on HR desks at some fitness related companies. You saw what a half lie cost at Bahati don't do it to another company

After the cyclingnews interview I think we will see Floyd doing ads for Specialized Bicycles Shimano and Seele Italie saddles.

 

[rolfrae]

Ummmmmm little yellow wristbands?

Or a great big book once the court case is settled, with all the gory details.

I wish he'd been asked what he thinks his sporting level is without doping - pro tour, first cat amateur etc.

I think there's probably a lot he couldn't be asked/couldn't talk about because of the ongoing legal cases.

I do have sympathy because he's a human being who admitted his errors, has apologised for his lies and is trying to change things for the better. And so I compare him to his former boss who continues the lie and tries to stamp on anyone who dares tell the truth. If Floyd is to try and pay back the Fairness Fund, how much will Armstrong pay back to all those who bought his wristbands and swallowed his big lie?

 

[Wallace]

That is one of the vaguest, least specific, and least illuminating interviews I've ever read. No dates, no names, no questions about specific kinds of doping--what a total waste of time.

 

[hrotha]

That is one of the vaguest, least specific, and least illuminating interviews I've ever read. No dates, no names, no questions about specific kinds of doping--what a total waste of time.

That's not the focus of the interview. You can find some of that information in the original emails, and chances are he can't talk freely about the rest at this point anyway. The focus of the interview was what led to Landis decision, how he feels about it, and what his motives were. In that regard, it's an illuminating interview.

 

[fatandfast]

After the cyclingnews interview I think we will see Floyd doing ads for Specialized Bicycles Shimano and Seele Italie saddles.

Selle Italia also makes Fizik. None of these companies will give him a t-shirt. Big hitters in the business like Shimano and Specialized will probably rethink associating their brand with indiv. rider ads. Those "I am Specialized" ads are now in the round file. Boonen and now Contador. Still ads are cheaper and easier to depersonalize. You can show a guy or his likeness going over cobbles or scaling a mountain and then if later he gets caught doing blow or is fully gassed on EPO you can do 100 bucks worth of photo shoppin and you are ready to go. Watching the timing of all this Alberto crap is wild. All the guys at the top know that if the season hasn't started that lots of sponsors will rethink if they really want to do this.Truly amazing to see how many guys are sticking behind Contador. Companies that make non-cycling products that use cycling for lifestyle marketing are leaving in droves. People selling food and cars,beauty products are going to rethink this. Kashi pulled their cash from a friends race w/o a real explanation. Anybody who looks at a product on a table and thinks that Landis is a good fit..it's probably an outdoor wilderness camp or a pharmo product

 

[Colm.Murphy]

So, what did ppl think of the "exclusive" Floyd interview on cyclingnews? I thought it wasn't bad, but wished the interviewer could have drilled down a bit more. For example, two questions I really wish had been asked:

1. When did you first dope? Was doping commonplace while you were in the US peloton? Did Team Mercury-Viatel dope during its forays into Europe?

2. You won the Tour in 2006, yet in 2009 (Ouch) you were utterly lousy. Why?...was this b/c you were riding clean? Can you tell us first-hand the tangible effect these drugs have -- did they boost you from Top 100 to yellow jersey, or perhaps only Top 15 to yellow?

Anyhow, I'd give the interiew at B+. Not bad, but more would have been nice. (Another example: the interviewer asks if Floyd's life falling apart was due to the '06 events. Floyd says, "Hard to say". Really? Your wife left you, dude! C'mon Mr. Journalist, drill down a bit deeper...)

I give the interview an A-. He expounds on the more detailed and personal view of doping. His thoughts are very consistent with what had been central to the conference in Geelong, the paper and topics discussed by the attendees.

@Nashbar - Regarding your first question you'd have liked asked, he admits in his "confession" email that the first time he doped was the test that Armstrong handed him after their infamous helicopter ride.

For your second point, I think it is reasonable to assume he rode clean, given the now known conflict he'd been suffering through. As to why he rode lousy, it has been discussed he was so closely marked that he was used as more of a decoy for Rory Sutherland. If I recall, he has spoken about how impact-ful the drugs are, noting that they help but not as much as people think.

@Fatandfast - Landis has previously said he would only offer what he has seen first-hand. Are you asking him to now go beyond and offer up rumor, innuendo and speculation? Isn't that what you thought he was doing when bringing this info public? If so, are you accepting what he has revealed is essentially fact, and anything more (non first-hand info) is now OK (and desired) by you?

I am surprised by the admission of Chris Graetz, the interviewer, when he said the following:

"As a journalist who is deeply invested with a love for cycling I had to make a concentrated effort not to make judgement."

I mean, does it not go without saying it is expected for him to remain objective? Isn't that the job of a journalist? Why would he need to offer this disclaimer when he is essentially doing his job?

Overall, I think the message that this is not a simple, black-and-white subject is important and should not be overlooked. His view on strict liability is something the Contador defenders could easily latch onto, and in that sense, I think Landis is correct.

For Landis detractors, you are steadily losing things with which to attack him. He sounds like a man who is fast in his resolve and is doing things for the right reasons.

 

[Colm.Murphy]

That is one of the vaguest, least specific, and least illuminating interviews I've ever read. No dates, no names, no questions about specific kinds of doping--what a total waste of time.

Sure, it is a total waste of time to get the input from a uniquely qualified individual on the topics of the UCI, doping penalties, the state of the sport, his own decision making, etc.

Right-o, total waste....

 

[hrotha]

If I recall, he has spoken about how impact-ful the drugs are, noting that they help but not as much as people think.

Was he thinking of EPO when he said that? It's often said here that EPO gives up to a 15-20% boost, but I figure that might be true of the golden years, until 1996, but not necessarily of 2006-2010.