Kimmage interviews Floyd Landis: Sunday Times + Bombshell NYVC transcript [merged]

[fatandfast]

What is the story with Mercury, Landis and the UCI?

Landis got jacked around by Mercury when they shut the team down. Landis being young and from po-dunk USA thought that the UCI had a plan in place for financial guarantee to riders for at least for wages and benefits. When Landis wrote a copy of emails and letters to the UCI w no result..He took it to the next level and told them that they had an agreement also and that somebody better pay or else..well the UCI took or else to mean lawsuits or labor board hearings. They would probably comply but Landis would be persona non grata if he kept only pursuing his quick needed cash rather than his long term outlook in pro cycling. Armstrong told him to chill and he did..now he wants to talk about what he should have done. 1 thing I find really chilling about Landis and his career lying..he tells Kimmage that Lance didn't take enough time establishing trust between the 2 of them..Lance was fast and lose w Landis. Almost instant trust. Landis was amazed at the things Lance did and said in front of him. Landis's sham goes on through the entire article from prepube shame in liking girls...to harsh spankings from his parents..church as torture...Even walking past his ill-gotten TDF trophy. I am sure that DZnuts regrets rooming with him and Landis retelling the expresso story

 

[Roadent]

Been quite a while since I've weighed in, but holy smokes, what an interview! Complex, conflicted and contradictory - in other words, very human. Just a damning and explicit indightment of professional cycling. Last quote jumped out -

Nobody is more or less guilty than anyone else here but it’s time to tell the truth. I understand the difficulty and the risk in admitting to doping. I am in no place to judge because I denied it for years as well. Michael Barry is going to do what he feels he needs to in order to protect himself, but unfortunately in this instance his choice is to do what I did and lie. I hope for his sake that someday he can tell the truth and feel free.

Michael needs to come out right now - he's been a poster boy for clean and innocent cycling: it's doubly important for me, as a Canadian and someone who's know him and his father for 25+ years. I lost my faith a long time ago, but this would throw me into full-on atheism... Time to completely seperate the love of riding of bikes from racing...

By the way - pretty damning implication of US Cycling and very interesting Floyd's observation of USADA's naivite about the extent of doping in cycling...

 

[sniper]

Been quite a while since I've weighed in, but holy smokes, what an interview! Complex, conflicted and contradictory - in other words, very human. Just a damning and explicit indightment of professional cycling. Last quote jumped out -



Michael needs to come out right now - he's been a poster boy for clean and innocent cycling: it's doubly important for me, as a Canadian and someone who's know him and his father for 25+ years. I lost my faith a long time ago, but this would throw me into full-on atheism... Time to completely seperate the love of riding of bikes from racing...

By the way - pretty damning implication of US Cycling and very interesting Floyd's observation of USADA's naivite about the extent of doping in cycling...

Indeed, epic stuff this is.

 

[bobbins]

Been quite a while since I've weighed in, but holy smokes, what an interview! Complex, conflicted and contradictory - in other words, very human. Just a damning and explicit indightment of professional cycling. Last quote jumped out -



Michael needs to come out right now - he's been a poster boy for clean and innocent cycling: it's doubly important for me, as a Canadian and someone who's know him and his father for 25+ years. I lost my faith a long time ago, but this would throw me into full-on atheism... Time to completely seperate the love of riding of bikes from racing...

By the way - pretty damning implication of US Cycling and very interesting Floyd's observation of USADA's naivite about the extent of doping in cycling...

Not a chance. Brailsford practically stated in an interview that were there anything to it then Barry would be dealt with. Not a direct quote but certainly what I read into it. IMO he should come out with the backing of his team and be fully supported in coming clean. That might persuade others to do the same.

 

[flicker]

Two are sticking with me alot right now.

This one on his Tour win and revocation:

"I didn’t care if he was lying, I just didn’t want him pointing fingers at me and saying I robbed him. There was no doubt in my mind that whoever I might have kept off the podium, didn’t belong on the podium."

And this one, that is made quite plain after reading this article:

"What I ended-up being in the press is in no way how I see myself or who I really am. I mean, I don’t think that there is any way that someone who has never met me could get even a remotely accurate picture of me."

Floyd,a small man who came from a small family in a small community. Came to the big world, jumped into the small pond of incestuousness, habitated by some very large voracious fish who don't like to share.

He actually held his own with the barracudas and sharks until he decided to rest on a sea anenome. Not knowing what to do he pulled the pin on the hand grenade and crippled himself, maimed some very large fish.

The sea anenome was injured but regenerated.

 

[Chuffy]

Well, I'm glad I didn't hand cash to Murdoch now! Well done to Kimmage for getting the transcript out there and to the NYVC chaps for hosting.

My concern with Landis isn't that he's not honest because I think he is (yeah, years of lying excepted). My concern is more that what he says is either treated as lies or gospel, depending on the reader's perspective. My take is that some of what he says is his interpretation of events and things said and done and should be treated with a degree of caution. There is an element of 'he said, she said' in his testimony which shouldn't be ignored. The exchange relating to JV goes some way to illustrating this and well done to PK for seeking and getting a response.

Interesting read and raises a lot of questions for other people to anwer.

 

[thehog]

I needed to take a walk after reading this story.

Think I'll go and set up a support group "for those who've tested positive" and don't know what to do next. These guys are serverly dropped in it and left to fight with zero support.

Well done Floyd. Don't think we'll hear from him in a long while.

 

[frenchfry]

WOW

didn't read it all yet, but this is an amazing story

 

[oldschoolnik]

Is this the first time we are learning that Floyd Used Del Moral independantly, for 2005 season? The WSJ only said "Spanish doc in Valencia".

How did you manage your doping in ’05? The Wall St Journal piece said: Mister Landis said he hired a Spanish doctor in Valencia to take transfusions and paid one person $10,000 to make two separate deliveries of half-litre bags of blood during the 2005 Tour de France.In 2004, the Postal Service got rid of Luis Garcia Del Moral, who was the team doctor, and I knew that he was often in charge of the logistics of doing transfusions and things like that, so I just contacted him and asked if he would do it for me. So I paid him to do it.



Del Moral?
Yeah.



You paid Del Moral?
Yeah.

 

[Barrus]

Indeed. Again confirms my thoughts, and the thoughts of a lot of people about the facade of cleanliness that Vaughters is trying to create.

Part of the response of Vaughters does have some truth to it. Especiallt if it was true that he truly solely meant toward the press, however he does perhaps underestimate the pressure that main stream press can put on agencies

 

[euanli]

I've taken my time and read it. I don't know what to say. There is a lot in there and I do feel somewhat overwhelmed.

But man, Kimmage doesn't like CN and Vaughters has really come out like a hypocrite in the last few weeks.

 

[hrotha]

Part of the response of Vaughters does have some truth to it. Especiallt if it was true that he truly solely meant toward the press, however he does perhaps underestimate the pressure that main stream press can put on agencies

I thought this is consistent with the way I saw Vaughters before, it's the same as why he won't explicitly talk about his own doping. It's not that he's a hypocrite, he's scared of the consequences.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Vaughters reminds me of Paul Riser's role in Aliens.

 

[BotanyBay]

Thanks for posting this Nik.

I'm very happy to have read Landis' unedited thoughts. Now I "get" him.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

I liked this bit

P.K Great. That’s exactly what you need to do. The next step is to stay away from Cyclingnews and all of the cycling websites, but keep riding your bike, that will always feel good.
…But that too, was easier said than done and a couple of days later he was making headlines again: “Floyd Landis calls for legalised doping.”
P.K There is only one thing worse than reading Cyclingnews…talking to them.
F.L Yeah, I’ll never make that mistake again. **** them.

Oops..

Other than that, hangs Oscar Periero out to dry, Barry needs to answer some questions, and the UCI is corrupt.

Glad to see that asshat Daniel Benson get thrown under the bus. Serves him and the other CN hacks right. Perhaps if they did their jobs properly for once then people like Kimmage and others wouldn't have such a low opinion of them.

The likes of Benson are as much a part of the problem as McQuaid, Armstrong and Ferrari.

 

[euanli]

Glad to see that asshat Daniel Benson get thrown under the bus. Serves him and the other CN hacks right. Perhaps if they did their jobs properly for once then people like Kimmage and others wouldn't have such a low opinion of them.

The likes of Benson are as much a part of the problem as McQuaid, Armstrong and Ferrari.

This is what I said after the Wiggins - Landis tit tat. I've got a feeling the Benson effectively created that situation.

 

[Chuffy]

I thought this is consistent with the way I saw Vaughters before, it's the same as why he won't explicitly talk about his own doping. It's not that he's a hypocrite, he's scared of the consequences.

JV is taking a more measured, subtle approach whereas Floyd is an angry man with a sawn-off shotgun. Naturally plenty of fans prefer the Floyd approach, it's so much more viscerally appealing, kicking down the doors of the UCI and laying waste to the corrupt scumbags inside. It's appealing and it does help, we need chaps like Floyd to come clean (preferably before bull****ting everyone for several years - are you listening Tyler Hamilton?) but we also need more politically clued up chaps like JV to work it behind the scenes. It's not either/or, it's both.

 

[Darryl Webster]

Well If the Sunday Times article seemed tame to forum members the full transcript certainly put that right!.
It was right that the ST article was written the way it was as it was wasnt for the sports fans but a general interest piece.
Does any realy think Floyd is lieing now?

 

[Barrus]

Who wants to bet that nowhere in the Dutch media this little tidbit will come to light

I mean, I remember one specific incident, I think it was in 2003, and we had done a blood transfusion the night before and if you don’t do it exactly right, and hold it and keep the pressure on it, (it leaves a mark/bruise because) it’s a much bigger needle. (Next day) I was riding and Michael Boogard came up next to me and he pointed to my arm and just smiled and winked and then he pointed at his arm…like, ‘I got the same thing.’

 

[Havetts]

Who wants to bet that nowhere in the Dutch media this little tidbit will come to light

Guess so, so Kohl was right after all ...

 

[tofino]

In thew room

Didn't read the article but looks like Kimmage missed one direct question.

When Landis made the decision to dope who was "in the room" with him. Plus he didn't win the Tour by packing his own bags, someone helped him.

This is what I was wondering about. Kimmage asked the right question about who was in the room packing his bags if you know what I mean. His blood runners and helpers.

Did you take it with you to the Tour or give it to someone else?

I gave it to someone else. I can’t tell you the name because I gave it to the authorities so they can…I mean there are certain people’s names I don’t want to give out yet until they do what they have to do.

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

Who wants to bet that nowhere in the Dutch media this little tidbit will come to light

I just put in on a dutch forum.

No real reaction thus far. Normally Dutch forums are full of one line reactions of pedandic spiteful idiocy so I don't expect much.

 

[Roland Rat]

This is what I was wondering about. Kimmage asked the right question about who was in the room packing his bags if you know what I mean. His blood runners and helpers.

Did you take it with you to the Tour or give it to someone else?

I gave it to someone else. I can’t tell you the name because I gave it to the authorities so they can…I mean there are certain people’s names I don’t want to give out yet until they do what they have to do.

Well, which name was nowhere near as prevalent in that interview as it should have been?

Clue - sounds like Allen Lim.

JV - 2009 = White sending rider(s) to del Moral, Allen Lim cooking up the rice cakes... someone lost track of their team by the sounds of things.

 

[Barrus]

I just put in on a dutch forum.

No real reaction thus far. Normally Dutch forums are full of one line reactions of pedandic spiteful idiocy so I don't expect much.

I'm pestering nu.nl on twitter about it

 

[Race Radio]

I thought this is consistent with the way I saw Vaughters before, it's the same as why he won't explicitly talk about his own doping. It's not that he's a hypocrite, he's scared of the consequences.

I think there is validity to this. I do not think that JV's unwillingness to talk is a sign that his team is dirty. Perhaps he has too much skin in the game to be completely candid or he thinks that it will too much damage to the sport.