johnny99

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIbmhqSiME

garysol1 

Looks more like asking for support and money then begging for it to me.......

Blaireau

The man makes me want to wretch. I am truly sick and tired of him. He cheated, got caught and lied about it. To stop and think of the harm the man has to done to the tour and pro-bike racing makes one's head spin. He should dig himself a little hole in the ground and go die in it.
I'd pay for that.

VT Biker

Blaireau,

you seems a bit angry.

Blaireau

Not really. Heck, some people probably said you were angry seeing what you said about dick Cheney... I just can't stand an outright liar pretending to be a "regular guy" and a victim.... Check the sig line for more info

ElJamoquio

Yeah, he sure did ruin the previously pure-as-the-driven-snow pro bike racing circuit.

VT Biker

Perhaps if the music they played was something from Megadeath, it would not make me feel so sympathetic for his cau.....hey wait a minute? That video was manipulative.

I am conflicted. I want to believe that Landis was clean. And the lab screw-ups do not help me come to any conclusions. But until all athletes decide to fall under truly effective testing regiments, I will NEVER given them the benefit of the doubt.

VT Biker

I am also conflicted because Floyd from everything I have read and from his demeanor really is a decent guy. Sucks that Lance gets away with it while a guy like Landis got caught. And yes - I see the conflicting statements that Landis is a decent guy who cheated. But I believe that all of us, if given the chance to make money riding cycles would do what it would take to realize that. I cannot fault Landis for doing what he did (if he did cheat). The fact is, in the ProTour, you need to cheat. The differences between a dmoestique of a continental rider and a ProTour rider and leader are so small, that I cannot fault guys who cheat.

It is the free rider syndrome. As long as there is a risk others are cheating, you are going to cheat to protect your livelihood.

Blaireau

Yeah, most of them dope I won't argue with that, but since Virenque in 98', we didn't have such a hypocrite in the ranks of pro bike racing --and we've seen lots of riders get caught. They usually shut up and accept reality after a while. Not Virenque, not Floyd, they continue to insult our intelligence and protest their innocence.... Actually, no, Virenque actually admitted doping, so there's hope.

Blaireau

Ok, ok, say I agree with all of the above.
Still, why contest the obvious, and why not admit that you cheated, pick up your marbles, wait out your suspension and ride again or retire -- whatever the case may be. Plenty of others have done it (D. Millar for one). Is Landis just a congenital liar incapable of admitting a wrong ?

bigskymacadam

good for him. go floyd!

VT Biker

Well -
I think the fact is, there is a lot of money involved, especially his post racing career prospects. Landis at this point is not trying to save his cycling career (it is pretty much over, considering the cheating and the hip surgery). He is trying to save is future after cycling. See - as long as Landis fights the system, there will always be more people to give him the benefit of doubt. This will allow him to make money holding training camps, perhaps enter into ownership of a bike store or even create his own line of frames/components/clothing etc. But if he admits to cheating, it is all over. No one would touch him. Who would go to the Floyd Landis Training Camp? Well - at least pay enough? Also - what good is a book deal if he is a known cheater.

This is a guy who never went to College, has no real skills other than being able to ride a bike. So his entire post race career is at stake. Given the fact that there is enough counter evidence that I do not believe he would be convicted in a court of law, I do not blame him 1 iota for fighting for his reputation.

ElJamoquio

Normally I wouldn't give any pro athlete the benefit of the doubt, but...

1. Floyd tested positive for synthetic testosterone in only one of four tests.
2. Floyd actually had lower than average testosterone.

I could be wrong on either one of those points, I'm not connected to a website following the goings-on, but that's the best of my recollection.

varian72

WEll ****...if Blaireau says he's a liar....he must be. The court of public opinion is the supreme decider anyway, eh?

And what rig is he riding anyway? Pegoretti?

sancocho

hell, I don't know what to think anymore. on the cover of my latest ESPN magazine they pose a stupid, yet poignant question: if everybody's juiced, is it cheating?

domestique

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

What "IF" by some chance he is not guilty, but for some chance there is an explanation (i.e. lab screw up, medical condition etc.)....... "the truth is out there" :key the X-files music... do do do do do do::

spiderbike

I can't wait till he comes out of this whole mess. The French should have to pay his legal fees.

ryanspeer

Perhaps it's time you read up a bit on the French and their history of false accusations in cycling. There's a reason they're the butt of many jokes. I just got finished reading about their accusations of the USPS team in 2000. They dragged out the investigation for 21 months even though ALL of their tests showed NO doping by the team in any way whatsoever mere months after the investigation began. They interviewed (more like "interrogated") USPS personnel for the simple reason that they wanted desperately to find SOMETHING but couldn't find anything. Finally they admitted quietly that their investigation failed for lack of evidence. Of course in their true French manner, it was done quietly so as to keep as much of the world as possible from seeing them eat crow.

The "guilty until proven innocent" mentality is pathetic.

wonderboy

i'd never pay to go to a celebrity training camp, nor buy from a story or a line of accessories simply because of someone's name endorsing it. But, for those that do, IF he did cheat, does that make his powertap class any less valuable?

If you haven't poured over the test results, I don't think you can judge. I for one have, and I actually believe him. And this is the first one I have actually believed.

SDRider

Maybe he'll let my wife sell his house for him if he needs money. He doesn't live too far from me.

mezza

I have no idea whether he doped or not...

But Floyd and everyone else has every right to fight for their innocence.

FIVE ONE SIX

joshalope

Where's Johnnie Cochran when you need him? If the sample's not legit, you must aquit!

My favorite part of that video, "I'm just a regular guy, who can ride a bike... pretty much better than everyone else."

WWJD? What would Jens do?

brianallan

I'm sure like many, I find Floyd to be a compelling character. He's always been an enjoyable, inspirational cyclist. Sadly, the state of affairs in cycling causes me to distrust everyone. I believe that almost everyone dopes at that level, and Floyd is probably no exception. However, due to the tainted evidence in his case, and his persuasive character, I think he should be allowed to race again, immediately. Until he is proven guilty without a doubt, he should be allowed to ride. Basso will probably never submit a DNA test - yet he is linked to Operación Puerto, which looks much much worse than Floyd's heightened testosterone levels. Bassi is racing, Floyd is not.

bellweatherman

I think Floyd is really reaching here. He needs to just come clean and admit that the steroid use was for real. All these athletes getting busted always cry foul and it makes me sick.