I did write something about Floyd Landis and then I brought it back down after reading the blogs. The blogs bothered me. There is one called Trust but Verify. I'm not so sure about the trust part anymore. I wrote in that post that I know a woman in charge of a very big hospital blood lab. And I asked her about this testing. What I've come to believe is that the people who do this sort of testing know what they are doing.
I knew they would rule against Landis, but It was only a 2 to 1 decision against him. If just one of the three had thought differently then Floyd would have been thought to not have doped and still be Tour de France winner and so on. Yet his whole team is folded and all of those people out of a job and so forth. Takes a little of the polish out of his win if he were found not to have doped.
So here we are. All of the legal going ons, and over a year later and one person makes the difference. If I were his lawyer, I'd now argue that Floyd should only get two thirds of the penalty. Wouldn't that follow?
I guess Lance won't comment on it. Says he doesn't follow cycling now. What?
Armstrong told The Vancouver Province newspaper on Sunday that he has no comment because he no longer follows the competitive cycling on a daily basis. (VeloNews)
How in the world is that possible? And what difference does it make if he doesn't follow on a daily basis?
"I would love to answer that question but unfortunately I'm out of that business," Armstrong said. "I only have the ability to focus on one thing at a time." (VeloNews)
I don't agree that he is "out of that business" He was there to introduce the new Trek Madone racing bicycle this year. He has an interest in Trek Bikes and in that respect, bike racing. I don't know how you could be more into "that business". I just don't buy that comment. LANCE INTRODUCES THE NEW TREK MADONE Notice the caption below the photo. (Cycling News) Clearly he has an interest in bike racing.
But I don't blame him for not wanting to talk about doping. He has no interest in going there, but I have to wonder if he has a responsibility to the sport, and the fans that gave back so much to him? Or perhaps Trek owners like me? The Seven time TDF winner and former team mate of Floyd Landis has nothing to say about this? I think that is questionable. Well I guess you can't pick your team mates.
And just when I thought only men in cycling had a problem with doping, the former women's World Campion Genevieve Jeanson admits to using EPO throughout her career. I find her story sad however. You can read about it HERE (VeloNews) Former competitor Anne Samplonius says this about it;
I think it will take years before she fully comes to realize the impact this has had on a lot of people. She has stolen victories and money from a lot of her competitors, she has taken an potential Olympic spot from me, and she has lied to all her fans and sponsors who really believed her. (VeloNews)
You can read all of Anne's remarks HERE (VeloNews)
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4 comments:
Wow. What a mess.
I think Lance did the right/polite thing in regards to the Vancouver Province. Maybe he didn't word it correctly, but to say that he had no comment on the matter would be acceptable.
Maybe I'm just not close enough to the situation, but I don't think a comment from Lance is going to change what's going on in cycling necessarily, and I don't think it's going to put a light on what should be done now in the business.
But maybe he copped out and should have said something to appease his fans. I don't know. My opinion on the guy fluctuates.
Landis helped Armstrong win some of those yellow jerseys. It's a team sport. Armstrong couldn't have done it without Floyd and Frankie's help. Frankie now admitted, Floyd won't admit, but has been found to have doped.
I think there is more at stake here than just appeasing his fans. Cycling is an international sport. These guys represent the United States. One year Armstrong got a ride home back to Texas on Airforce 1.
Perhaps it is best if he doesn't comment. Perhaps the 7 time Tour de France winner isn't in a position to help change the sport? I have to wonder however, if he isn't in the position to help change the sport, then who is?
I guess the way I look at it is this:
If Lance has doped, or knew about the doping, then any comment critical of his teammates is going to make him look like he doesn't support his former teammates, and that he's a hypocrite. It's going to make him look like he didn't support them in their hour of need. While Americans like the go-it-alone hero, they also like it when teammates back each other up.
If he comments but doesn't criticize the doping, then he looks like he condones doping, or at the very least condones his teammates doping. He looks like a guy who stopped at nothing to win, which is un-sportsmanlike.
Note that I say, "this is what he looks like if" and not "this is how I perceive it". This is just how I think the media will react.
He's in a contradicting position, and maybe he genuinely doesn't know what he could do that would result in a positive outcome for himself, his teammates involved, and cycling as a sport.
What do you think you would do in his shoes?
(Again, what I know of this issue I get from your blog, so I may be way off on all of this)
If I were in his position I'd say;
"If Landis did it, I'm disappointed in him. It would make me wonder what he was up to while he was riding for me."
That way I'd be questioning Landis and the lab tests at the same time. But this would call into question my team leadership. That's the only problem with that.
He may have said exactly this sort of thing already. I don't know.
But Landis insists he is innocent. What if Landis were guilty and decided to come clean? He might swing around bring his guns to bear on Armstrong and write a tell all book. This has been costing him a lot of money.
Lance has no interest in making any comment. It might be that he just wants to distance himself from any doping issues or wants to avoid any possible legal action against himself. It might be that he doesn't want to hit the guy while he is down. I suspect Lance might know more than he is letting on however.
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