Levi: "There's more to be said..."

[CobbleStoner]

Well, it is a team sport and every team needs athletes doing important supporting roles. He's a career-long cheater and doper, but lots of not-glorious, anonymous work needs doing in a bicycle race.

if you have followed his career, he is not the best domestique by any account. he has always ridden like he was team leader, and he got paid more than domestiques that really do their job

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Well said. At best Levi would have been a low level Euro Pro. With a full program he far outweighed his own potential and made good money from it for years.

He was never a GT podium rider. Ever. He should feel lucky and take the money and run!

I agree to a certain extent. I dislike Levi, and I've made that clear many times, but I can understand his frustration that he's hard working but just wasn't born with the required talent to be a GT contender. Maybe he felt justified in leveling a playing field made uneven by genetics.

Who knows. He's still a d-bag.

 

[babastooey]

In a way I kind of feel bad for Levi. If he had been with Garmin, he would still have a job right now. If he had been with Saxo and was a Tour winner and younger, they would have re-hired him. If Levi was French and popular, he would have the opportunity to ride the Tour many more times and win many more polka dot jerseys.

Because he is none of these things, I guess he will have to sign with either OUCH or Rock Racing and then slowly fade away.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

In a way I kind of feel bad for Levi. If he had been with Garmin, he would still have a job right now. If he had been with Saxo and was a Tour winner and younger, they would have re-hired him. If Levi was French and popular, he would have the opportunity to ride the Tour many more times and win many more polka dot jerseys.

Because he is none of these things, I guess he will have to sign with either OUCH or Rock Racing and then slowly fade away.

yes, clearly poor little Leipheimer is struggling. Probably living out of a camper.

 

[Cloxxki]

OT:
He was sanctioned in I believe 1996 and now 2012. Isn't that some record of sorts? Impressive doping career. Although he was clean after 2007, of course. Of course.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

In a way I kind of feel bad for Levi. If he had been with Garmin, he would still have a job right now...

I don't feel bad for him. And I'm not a Levi hater. I actually like the guy somewhat. I just believe you have to sleep in the bed you make. You, me, everyone. He made some poor decisions on his own, and now he has to live with them. And I never got the impression he was anything close to broke. He'll also come out of this fairly unscathed when the dust settles.

And I don't think the TOC or racing today is clean. Cleaner than a decade ago? Yes, no question. Clean racers able to compete? Probably. But that's as far as I'll go.

 

[hiero2]

I agree to a certain extent. I dislike Levi, and I've made that clear many times, but I can understand his frustration that he's hard working but just wasn't born with the required talent to be a GT contender. Maybe he felt justified in leveling a playing field made uneven by genetics.

Who knows. He's still a d-bag.

A lot more venom in this thread then I normally like to participate in, but you know, Levi just isn't coming out of this looking like an all-american good guy, you know? First off he was cheating, and making a name for himself as one of the "new American hopes" in a "post-LA" "clean" era. 2nd was his statement this year - even more open-ended and noncommital to currently riding clean than anybody else. Weaselly, if ya kno wut I mean.

Now this - well what kind of threat or promise is this? **** man, if you've got a mouthful, spit it out! But the folks thinking he won't say more until he knows his days in the peloton are over are probably right. His actions indicate a very business-like and practical approach to the whole ethics question. Meaning, "what's in it for me?"

 

[thehog]

I don't feel bad for him. And I'm not a Levi hater. I actually like the guy somewhat. I just believe you have to sleep in the bed you make. You, me, everyone. He made some poor decisions on his own, and now he has to live with them. And I never got the impression he was anything close to broke. He'll also come out of this fairly unscathed when the dust settles.

And I don't think the TOC or racing today is clean. Cleaner than a decade ago? Yes, no question. Clean racers able to compete? Probably. But that's as far as I'll go.

Casar hit the nail on the head. The whole era is a mess and a waste. No one knows who did what and who was good or not.

“We can’t know what might have happened in other circumstances. When a whole team is doped, it can control or block a race, it can pull back breakaways,” Casar said. “Maybe I sometimes even benefited from their work without knowing it. In effect, everything was falsified. One of the terrible things about doping is that we don’t know who really was good and who wasn’t.”

 

[howsteepisit]

Since Levi was sanctioned in 1996, and now again, why doesn't the repeat offender clause kick in and why is he not banned for life? or is it 4 years for a second offense?

 

[spetsa]

And I never got the impression he was anything close to broke.

Without any future income he may end up there. Have you ever seen how many animals he has to feed?

 

[MarkvW]

Since Levi was sanctioned in 1996, and now again, why doesn't the repeat offender clause kick in and why is he not banned for life? or is it 4 years for a second offense?

It looks like his career is over, anyway. Besides, he deserves a reward for snitching off the biggest cycling cheating conspiracy (until the next one).

 

[Dazed and Confused]

deserves a reward

Setup a donation drive, perhaps there will be enough for a new bronze statue.

 

[mewmewmew13]

of course they don't condone what I did, and I don't condone what I did.

But, it's great to have a healthy bank balance stealing from honest athletes isn't it Levi?

But I told the truth and I think they can appreciate that.

You should all appreciate the fact I had a nice, long career in Pro Cycling cheating honest and perhaps more talented guys out of a spot in the elite peloton and now I get to promote fun rides in Santa Rosa. Cool! right?!

But, let's skip over my bad deeds and sell UCI athlete PR line #1 at an elite event that had no testing, "the peloton is cleaner than ever"

It takes perjury charges for this guy to tell some truth. I wouldn't trust him to take my trash out to the curb.

The more all the confession/ catharsis settles in the more I am thinking this way exactly.
(Along these lines I am irritated and disgusted reading that Tommy D is peddling luxury camps in Malibu with Hollywood types)

No one forced Levi to dope and accept a lot of money and high profile spoils...

Jeezus , I'm tired of all these riders whinging!

There are so many clean cyclists of integrity that lost their chances forever to excel and earn a living.

Shut up or put it out there Levi.
Go get a job.

 

[Athame]

He's still a d-bag.

________________________ Pretty Lame.

 

[fat_boy_fat]

Besides, he deserves a reward for snitching off the biggest cycling cheating conspiracy.

He already had it all: wins, money, attention. And don’t forget, that he just tried to survive in the avalanche.

Best time to apologise, say thank you and quit.

 

[86TDFWinner]

why isn't his name taken off the list of winners of the ToC? and he might ride it again next year? such BS.
and how anybody can dope and have such a boring, non-attacking career is mind boggling, at least Lance, Floyd, and Tyler gave us some entertaining racing to watch, complete fail from the little rat gnome.

Heyyyy, cut the guy some slack, he got hit by a car once.

 

[86TDFWinner]

Then say it, Levi. What are you waiting for?

A deal perhaps? one that makes him come out smelling like roses.

 

[86TDFWinner]

Levi is deep into this on an emotional level. His cousin is married to Weasel's son, (aunt and uncle and other family living in Boulder) his wife used to date and live with his (Levi"s) manager whom has a connection to Weasel, and it goes on and on. You should of seen his family at Centro after he ripped it up Flagstaff at the US Pro Challenge. Pretty subdued celebration. They all knew what was coming. They had to be imbarassed as hell. Now it is about to really hit home. Good luck Levi. This is about more than racing a bike again for him.

Not only is LL a ******bag, but he also married a cycling groupie? jebus this guy's just sad.

 

[Choocher]

Not only is LL a ******bag, but he also married a cycling groupie? jebus this guy's just sad.

No, his wife is a former professional cyclist herself.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

No, his wife is a former professional cyclist herself.

Clean no doubt.

 

[Choocher]

Clean no doubt.

I have no insight into that. Just stating a fact.

 

[ElChingon]

He already had it all: wins, money, attention. And don’t forget, that he just tried to survive in the avalanche.

Best time to apologise, say thank you and quit.

I'll settle for the latter and say thank you.

 

[Berzin]

As per Levi's comments-cryptic or not, he's out of the pro peloton and good riddance.

He should either come out and say what he has to say or be quiet. The majority of the details have already been made public, so anything he has to add is just more icing on an already tawdry cake.

And nothing he has to say will shock anyone. We already know most of the truth. So what is time going to heal?

Many people thought it would be the end of Western Civilization as we know it if Armstrong was ever stripped of his titles, and I look out my window and everything seems OK to me. People are still riding their bikes and no one cares anymore.

I think this is Levi's way to remain relevant in a sport that wants nothing to do with him anymore.

And speaking of trying to remain relevant, how was that film "The Levi Effect"? Anyone go see it?

 

[86TDFWinner]

No, his wife is a former professional cyclist herself.

I see, my apologies, kinda came off to me as she was some sort of groupie. Pics of this lady?

 

[spetsa]

No, his wife is a former professional cyclist herself.

Clean no doubt.

I have no insight into that. Just stating a fact.

She raced for Timex, which morphed into Saturn. Nothing to see there. Let's move on. After you skip over Rene Wenzel that is