Landis letter re drug use in cycling

[theswordsman]

Also for the latecomers

In the letter, Landis implicates teammates, cycling officials, doctors and team leaders in what sounds like an astonishingly shameless culture of drug use. One example comes from 2004, when Landis said a team bus left the finish line, headed for the hotel, and stopped over on the way for blood transfusions to boost the riders' oxygen capacity.

"The driver pretended to have engine trouble and stopped on a remote mountain road for an hour or so so the entire team could have half a liter of blood added," Landis wrote. "This was the only time that I ever saw the entire team being transfused in plain view of all the other riders and bus driver."

Armstrong, who has always vigorously denied doping, is said by Landis to have participated in that and many other instances of doping. Attempts to reach Armstrong's attorney were unsuccessful.

"There are many many more details that I have in diaries and am in the process of writing into an intelligible story," Landis wrote in an e-mail addressed principally to USA Cycling chief executive Steven Johnson.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m..._in_blood_doping_during_to.html#ixzz0oSNx0kj8

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

I think a joint press conference where they admit to having made mistakes in the past, but are now in the right environment where they can control their own destiny. DZ may lose the ToC as a result, but it may be a price worth paying.

Although it'd be ironic if DZ did quit the ToC as some kind of pennance, only to hand it to Lie-pheimer.

Yes but if DZ says something which confirms Floyd's allegations about him he can get sanctioned, because it's too recent. Quite tricky for him to admit to making mistakes without admitting to Floyd's allegations just at the moment.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Somewhere in one of these articles I read that Floyd said LA actually tested positive for EPO at one point and that LA and JB flew to UCI headquarters and paid off Verbruggen to make the test null and void. But I can't find that now. Anyone know which link that is?

I'm starting to think this will completely meltdown and be beyond spin and PR. I don't know when, but this is just a really bit heap of mud to scrape off.

 

[rata de sentina]

1) If others talk, and verify enough of what Floyd is saying. JV, Tyler, DZ, Frankie and others should now come clean. Not to sink Lance, or USPS, or anyone, but to tell the truth for themselves, and give credence to Floyd's honesty because it's the right thing to do.

Well you know for a basically honest person being part of a great lie can be pretty stressful over a long period. Coming clean can be pretty cathartic and sometimes it doesn´t take much. The spate of people recently who have been found positive and come clean in comparison to the past when they fought tooth and nail is maybe an example of this. Kind of like a mob mentality of whistleblowers.

 

[Roland Rat]

I can't believe we're all talking about a potentially historic day in cycling's history and all the pro's are tweeting about mundane rubbish! I can't believe this isn't going to be the topic of many a conversation in the Giro peloton today.

 

[BroDeal]

If Garmin are clean (or JV believes they are clean) then he needs to back up Floyds comments that there was a doping programme within USPS.

He actually doesn't have to explain it himself - but he has to back Floyds actions.

If DZ doped gefore Garmin than he has to walk the plank - smart move would be to say it was a long time ago and co-operate.

I don't think Vaughters will do it. I think Garmin will start out with the usual denials. Once they start down that path it will be hard not to continue until they are forced to turn around..

Hincapie has already denied it through a spokesman.

 

[wattage]

All LA and JB should have done to avoid this was to bring Floyd to Radioshack and let him ride those few years he would have had left in him. Lance owed him that much. But no, and now the whole thing has blowed up in their face. Kudos Floyd!

 

[blackcat]

Maybe even turn up some used syringes from the postal era that he kept on a beer can all these years.
Also give details on scheduling of racing and coupling with the dope program. How does someone peak for the TDF every year for 7 years straight?
Who within postal was on the loop and who and how some in the second tier were kept out of it.
Also Hog/Rihs suppliers of the dope, I mean buying that much dope how the hell don't they raise a red flag?

my thesis: form is but a euphemism for synchronizing blood parameters.

no way you can peak with such timing year after year.

form is a soundbite up with "bad apples".

 

[Roland Rat]

Also for the latecomers



http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m..._in_blood_doping_during_to.html#ixzz0oSNx0kj8

I like the bit about having many, many more details! This should keep going for weeks!

I've been waiting for LA to get his comuppence, I plan to drink at this fountain for as long as possible!

 

[issoisso]

Somewhere in one of these articles I read that Floyd said LA actually tested positive for EPO at one point and that LA and JB flew to UCI headquarters and paid off Verbruggen to make the test null and void. But I can't find that now. Anyone know which link that is?

wait WHAT?

Stop everything. How is that not the biggest part of every article?

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

If DZ doped gefore Garmin than he has to walk the plank - smart move would be to say it was a long time ago and co-operate.

why?........

 

[theswordsman]

Somewhere in one of these articles I read that Floyd said LA actually tested positive for EPO at one point and that LA and JB flew to UCI headquarters and paid off Verbruggen to make the test null and void. But I can't find that now. Anyone know which link that is?

I'm starting to think this will completely meltdown and be beyond spin and PR. I don't know when, but this is just a really bit heap of mud to scrape off.

I don't see it in the WSJ, ESPN, or NY Daily News

 

[elizab]

JV, Tyler, DZ, Frankie and others should now come clean. Not to sink Lance, or USPS, or anyone, but to tell the truth for themselves, and give credence to Floyd's honesty because it's the right thing to do.

QUOTE]

Frankie wasn't privy to the elaborate doping as described by Floyd. "Privy" meant with sarcasm here. When Frankie refused to get on a program or see Michele, it didn't end up working in his favor, obviously. As far as continuing to ride goes.
I'm not sure what you mean here.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m..._were_involved_in_blood_doping_during_to.html

If memory serves me correct, Lance dismissed that infamous IM between Frankie and JV as did most but not all journalists

 

[BroDeal]

I think the best tack to take for some of these guys is to say that this stuff happened five and six years ago, the sport was different, and you had to dope or you would not have a job. They should play up the angle that the sport has turned the corner and how they can ride clean. For pretty much all the riders it won't hurt them that much because there is an assumption that they along with everyone else must have been doping. For Armstrong, who has built his public persona on being a clean do-gooder, it will have the same effect as Tiger Woods being exposed.

Calling for an amnesty would also be a good idea.

 

[python]

One example comes from 2004, when Landis said a team bus left the finish line, headed for the hotel, and stopped over on the way for blood transfusions to boost the riders' oxygen capacity.

"The driver pretended to have engine trouble and stopped on a remote mountain road for an hour or so so the entire team could have half a liter of blood added," Landis wrote. "This was the only time that I ever saw the entire team being transfused in plain view of all the other riders and bus driver."

...................

 

[BroDeal]

Frankie wasn't privy to the elaborate doping as described by Floyd.
I'm not sure what you mean here.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m..._were_involved_in_blood_doping_during_to.html

If memory serves me correct, Lance dismissed that infamous IM between Frankie and JV as did most but not all journalists

I think most of probably believe Steven Swart and his account of what happened at Motorola, so we pretty much assume that Frankie knows more than he has said. Since Bruyneel brought in new doctors to Postal, we also believe that there was a less sophisticated doping program going on before the switch to transfusions.

 

[markene2]

Without proof that won't stick. It's as damning as the famous phone-transcript... it proves nothing.

And yes, you got to be the blindest idiot around not to see that Lance is a cheater, but this tidbit won't change that much.

Why the hell are you saying that to me
I have never denied that Lance is a doper?
My english is bad and therfor my points are not so clear

 

[Cerberus]

I like the bit about having many, many more details! This should keep going for weeks!

I've been waiting for LA to get his comuppence, I plan to drink at this fountain for as long as possible!

Actually the part I think is interesting is not the details, it's the dairies. If that's true then as Publicus said it lends enormous credibility to what would otherwise be an unsubstantiated allegation.

"There are many many more details that I have in diaries and am in the process of writing into an intelligible story," Landis wrote in an e-mail addressed principally to USA Cycling chief executive Steven Johnson."

 

[Dr. Maserati]

why?........

If he doesn't he will get his 2 (or possibly 4) years.

There is too much **** flying around - Floyd has pulled the pin and has caught everyone. This story is bigger than Puerto and bigger than Festina - in the US probably only BALCO beats it.

Someone will break, they always do.

 

[flyor64]

I dont know if anyone else has published this story, but in norway they have

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://msn.tv2sporten.no/sykkel/landis-beskylder-armstrong-for-doping-3211279.html&sl=no&tl=en

Pretty much the same as the Wall Street Journalarticle. Seems the WSJ article is even a bit more detailed...

 

[sportzchick]

You would think that he is doing this to tell the truth but since hes been proved as a drug cheat is he really trustworthy......hopefully what he says about doing this for the right reasons is indeed true.

What I find hillarious is we can 'forgive' Landis, Vino, Miller and others but It is a sure bet LA wont be given the same favors if FL proves what he is saying is true.

Im guessing he wont stop and RS and LA for max affect???? Im not stupid to think there isnt a Aussie thats doing dirty deads but I can live in hope/niaevity

 

[issoisso]

What I find hillarious is we can 'forgive' Landis, Vino, Miller and others but It is a sure bet LA wont be given the same favors if FL proves what he is saying is true.

You're quite right. But there's a reason for that.

Armstrong has (literally) destroyed the personal lives and careers of several people who dared tell the truth. The others haven't.

 

[BroDeal]

If he doesn't he will get his 2 (or possibly 4) years.

There is too much **** flying around - Floyd has pulled the pin and has caught everyone. This story is bigger than Puerto and bigger than Festina - in the US probably only BALCO beats it.

Someone will break, they always do.

They certainly will if the feds start talking to people.

 

[Jamsque]

Calling for an amnesty would also be a good idea.

On the one hand, an amnesty would let guys like DZ admit their past mistakes and carry on racing clean now. On the other, it would also let Armstrong, Bruyneel et al off the hook.

 

[fiftyfour eleven]

Dear Oh Dear

Who'd have thought he was actually guilty?? To the all the d--kheads who put up money to help fight his case what a bunch of suckers you must feel like now. Are you finally going to wake up? And if the rest of you all love the sport of cycling so much stop bagging out on our own lets start applying the blowtorch to other sports that don't test their athletes to the standards that we do. Lets try asking what's happening with the likes of Soccer, Tennis or even Swimming. All of who's sports were represented on the Operación Puerto list but only cycling was named and our athletes outed. Why was that?

Floyd you were a fraud & a bigger idiot for not taking your punishment like a man once caught. There's no hidding from that ever and releasing emails & etc, changes nothing.