Landis Comes Clean... Finally

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I imagine now that Charlie has left us, more of these types of stories will come to light to vindicate what he has been saying all along.

Reuters

Published on Thursday, May. 20, 2010 7:34AM EDT

Last updated on Thursday, May. 20, 2010 9:05AM EDT

Disgraced American cyclist Floyd Landis has admitted to systematic use of performance-enhancing drugs and accused seven-time Tour de Francechampion Lance Armstrong of involvement in doping, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping but had always denied cheating, sent a series of e-mails to cycling officials and sponsors acknowledging and detailing his long-term use of banned drugs, the newspaper said.

The report said Landis wrote in the e-mails that he started doping in 2002, his first year racing with the U.S. Postal Service team led by Armstrong.

Landis also admitted to doping in an interview with ESPN.com.

Landis also accused American riders Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie and Armstrongā€™s long-time coach, Johan Bruyneel, of involvement in doping, the Journal reported.

Armstrong is currently competing in the Tour of California and couldnā€™t be reached for comment. Neither could Bruyneel, Leipheimer or Zabriskie.

The Journal said it had seen copies of three e-mails sent by Landis between April 30 and May 6, and that he had copied in seven people on the messages, including officials with USA Cycling and international governing body UCI.

Landis served a two-year ban after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels at the 2006 Tour. He was the first rider stripped of a Tour de France title.

ā€œI want to clear my conscience,ā€ Landis told ESPN.com. ā€œI donā€™t want to be part of the problem any more.ā€

He also said he was speaking out now in part because the World Anti-Doping Agencyā€™s eight-year statute of limitations was close to running out.

ā€œIf I donā€™t say something now then itā€™s pointless to ever say it,ā€ Landis said.

He told ESPN.com that his most difficult phone call was to his mother to tell her the truth for the first time.

Landisā€™ parents did not immediately return a phone message left at their home in Lancaster County, Pa. Paul and Arlene Landis had always defended their son against doping accusations.

UCI president Pat McQuaid questioned Landisā€™ credibility in a telephone interview Thursday with The Associated Press.

ā€œWhatā€™s his agenda?ā€ McQuaid said. ā€œThe guys is seeking revenge. Itā€™s sad, itā€™s sad for cycling. Itā€™s obvious he does hold a grudge.ā€

McQuaid said he received copies of the e-mails sent by Landis to the U.S. cycling federation, but declined to comment on their contents. He said Landisā€™ allegations were ā€œnothing new.ā€

ā€œHe already made those accusations in the past,ā€ McQuaid said. ā€œArmstrong has been accused many times in the past but nothing has been proved against him. And in this case, I have to question the guyā€™s credibility. There is no proof of what he says. We are speaking about a guy who has been condemned for doping before a court.ā€

In the ESPN.com interview, Landis detailed extensive use of the blood-boosting drug EPO, testosterone, human growth hormone and blood transfusions, as well as female hormones and a one-time experiment with insulin. He said the doping occurred during the years he rode for the U.S. Postal Service and Swiss-based Phonak teams.

In one of the e-mails seen by the Wall Street Journal, dated April 30, Landis said he flew to Girona, Spain, in 2003 and had two half-litre units of blood extracted from his body in a three-week interval to be used later during the Tour de France.

According to the newspaper, Landis claimed the blood extractions took place in Armstrongā€™s apartment. He said blood bags belonging to Armstrong and then-teammate George Hincapie were kept in a refrigerator in Armstrongā€™s closet and Landis was asked to check the temperature of the blood daily.

When Armstrong left for a few weeks, he asked Landis to ā€œmake sure the electricity didnā€™t go off and ruin the blood,ā€ according to the e-mail quoted by the Journal.

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LOL people will never believe what charlie has been saying no matter how many stories come out. I just accept it and move on even before anyone admits anything. It doesnt make the sport any less intresting.

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Yes - it is amazing how many apologists are out there claiming that the one honest guy now telling the truth is simply disgruntled or has gone mad.

Even if Landis had photos of Lance Armstrong in the process of injecting himself, there would be claims of photoshopping and doctoring the photos.

In addition to Speed Trap, another good book on the subject is a book titled ā€œPositiveā€ by Werner Reiterer. I think the Australian Athletic Federation tried to sue and slander his ass into the stratosphere.

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Positive was a good book.

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Derek,
it would be good to get some clarification as this thread and your post above would appear to contravene the rule re banned substance discussion which has previously been wide in its definition. Has that changed? :confused: Iā€™m not complaining but as I say to me it appears to require clarification.

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http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-crashes-out-of-amgen-tour-of-california

Armstrong ā€œcrashesā€ out of Amgen Tour of California.

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I hear you John. But I donā€™t believe we are discussing banned substances or their use/prevalence per se. Rather, we are (or at least I am) discussing the hypocrisy surrounding the discussion.

With the loss of Charlie, I also see the loss of a fantastic opportunity - particularly in Canada - to tap into one of the greatest coaching minds in the world. Because of insecurity, jealousy, hypocrisy and many other weak-minded qualities, the masses of young track athletes were never introduced to techniques devised by Charlie and others who were involved in that generation of success - including Gerard Mach. I can remember buying up old copies of Gerardā€™s books from the local track federation office because they considered them ā€˜uselessā€™ and ā€˜outdatedā€™.

Because I became involved with Charlie, my athletes and myself were frowned upon by others, making it more difficult to get into key meets, obtain funding and even train at facilities. For five years straight, I had the top sprinters in my province. Our indoor training consisted of running in a 30m hallway on rubber mats for 5 months of the year, with no options for training camps. Did people believe it was because of good coaching or training that was grounded in a good philosophical foundation? Certainly not. I have never been asked to help with coaching education in track in field because of many of these same hypocritical sentiments among those in the track community. Is there perhaps a chance that I know more than many other coaches here? Not bloody likely, according to those in the know!

Charlie would sometimes apologize for the shrapnel that accompanied being a friend of his. I would tell him, ā€œDonā€™t apologize. Itā€™s been the best thing that has happened to me professionally. It helps me to discern the good people from the petty, selfish, insecure, dickless bullshitters. Itā€™s my asshole filter in the life of sport.ā€

Iā€™m obviously going into the ā€œanger phaseā€ of mourning. As Charlie use to tell me, ā€œDonā€™t worry about it. Fuck 'em!ā€

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Flandis letterā€¦

2002: I was instructed on how to use Testosterone patches by Johan Bruyneel
during the During the Dauphine Libere in June, after which I flew on a
helicopter with Mr Armstrong from the finish, I believe Grenoble, to San
Mauritz Switzerland at which point I was personally handed a box of 2.5 mg
patches in front of his wife who witnessed the exchange. About a week
later, Dr Ferrari performed an extraction of half a liter of blood to be
transfused back into me during the Tour de France. Mr Armstrong was not
witness to the extraction but he and I had lengthy discussions about it on
our training rides during which time he also explained to me the evolution
of EPO testing and how transfusions were now necessary due to the
inconvenience of the new test. He also divulged to me at that time that in
the first year that the EPO test was used he had been told by Mr Ferrari,
who had access to the new test, that he should not use EPO anymore but he
did not believe Mr Farrari and continued to use it. He later, while winning the Tour de Swiss, the month before
the Tour de France, tested positive for EPO at which point he and Mr
Bruyneel flew to the UCI headquarters and made a financial agreement with
Mr. Vrubrugen to keep the positive test hidden.

2003: After a broken hip in the winter, I flew to Gerona Spain where this
time two units (half a liter each) were extracted three weeks apart. This
took place in the apartment in which Mr. Armstrong lived and in which I was
asked to stay and check the blood temperature every day. It was kept in a
small refrigerator in the closet allong with the blood of Mr Armstrong and
George Hincapie and since Mr. Armstrong was planning on being gone for a few
weeks to train he asked me to stay in his place and make sure the
electricity didnā€™t turn off or something go wrong with the referigerator.
Then during the Tour de France the entire team, on two different occasions
went to the room that we were told and the doctor met us there to do the
transfusions. During that Tour de France I personally witnessed George
Hincapie, Lance Armstrong, Chechu Rubiera, and myself receiving blood
transfusions. Also during that Tour de France the team doctor would give my
room mate, George Hincapie and I a small syringe of olive oil in which was disolved andriol, a form of
ingestible testosterone on two out of three nights throughout the duration.

I was asked to ride the Vuelta a Espana that year in support of Roberto
Heras and in August, between the Tour and the Vuelta, was told to take EPO
to raise my hematocrit back up so more blood transfusions could be
performed. I was instructed to go to Lances place by Johan Bruyneel and get
some EPO from him. The first EPO I ever used was then handed to me in the
entry way to his building in full view of his then wife. It was Eprex by
brand and it came in six pre measured syringes. I used it intravenously for
several weeks before the next blood draw and had no problems with the tests
during the Vuelta. Also during this time it was explained to me how to use
Human Growth Hormone by Johan Bruyneel and I bought what I needed from Pepe
the team ā€œtrainerā€ who lived in Valencia along with the team doctor at that
time. While training for that Vuelta I spent a good deal of time training
with Matthew White and Michael Barry and shared the testosterone and EPO
that we had and discussed the use thereof while training.

Again, during the Vuelta we were given Andriol and blood transfusions by the
team doctor and had no problems with any testing.

2004: Again the team performed two seperate blood transfusions on me, but
this time Bruyneel had become more paranoid and we did the draws by flying
to Belgium and meeting at an unknown persons appartment and the blood was
brought by ā€œDuffyā€ who was at that time Johans assistant of sorts. The
second of which was performed on the team bus on the ride from the finish of
a stage to the hotel during which 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. 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. That team included Lance Armstrong, George
Hincapie and I as the only Americans.

2005: I had learned at this point how to do most of the transfusion
technicals and other things on my own so I hired Allen Lim as my assistant
to help with details and logistics. He helped Levi Leipheimer and I prepare
the transfusions for Levi and I and made sure they were kept at the propertemperature. We both did two seperate transfusions that Tour however myhematocrit was too low at the start so I did my first one a few days before the start so as to not start with a deficit.

2006: Well you get the ideaā€¦ One thing of great signigicance is that
I sat down with Andy Riis and explained to him what was done in the past and what was the risk I would be taking and ask for his permission which he granted in the form of funds to complete the operation described. John
Lelangue was also informed by me and Andy Riis consulted with Jim Ochowitz before agreeing.

There are many many more details that I have in diaries and am in the
process of writing into an intelligible story but since the position of USA
Cycling is that there have not been enough details shared to justify calling
USADA, I am writing as many as I can reasonably put into an email and sharewith you so as to ascertain what is the process which USA Cycling uses toproceed with such allegations.

Look forward to much more detail as soon as you can demonstrate that you can be trusted to do the right thing.

Floyd Landis = FRAUD

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I think many of us, like you, have gone through similar issues. However, Results are results, so Fuck em! :cool:

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When i first met Derek, it was at Charlieā€™s (apparently last seminar) in Layton, Utah at COR Performance.

I knew that Charlie was a tough draw, he can be rather polarizing with people in the know realizing that he did what everyone was doing and just did it better.

And morons thinking ā€˜heā€™s nothing but a drug coachā€™. It was a risky move for the grand opening of Cor, like Derek said being associated with Charlie can bring itā€™s share of bullshittery among the lamebrained.

I like Derekā€™s point about it being a good bullshit barometer. See if people are actually using that 3 lb lump of gray matter.

And yeah, what a shock that landis was doping.

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Very detailed account offered by Floyd Landis. Seems to me that it would have been easier for him to maintain his ā€˜innocenceā€™ and silence thereby keeping face with his cycling friends. To now openly declare what really happened suggests he is trying to redeem himself, much the same as Marion Jones. He no longer wants to live with the lie. He certainly has nothing to gain by being so candid & truthful with his account of the EPO & blood doping that he and others undertook.

I will be interested in Lance Armstrongā€™s response to the allegations. Iā€™m not sure it will vindicate Landisā€¦:o

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http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/armstrong-denies-teaching-landis-how-to-dope-20100521-vs8u.html?autostart=1

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has dismissed an accusation by disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis that Armstrong had schooled him in doping methods.

ā€œWith regards to the specific allegations, the specific claims, theyā€™re not even worth getting into it,ā€ Armstrong said. ā€œIā€™m not going to waste my time or your time.ā€

Armstrong, speaking to reporters in Visalia, California, before the start of the fifth stage of the Tour of California, indicated he found Landisā€™ about-face suspect.

ā€œI think history speaks for itself here,ā€ Armstrong said. ā€œWe donā€™t know what he did or didnā€™t do during the Tour. We followed the case, followed all the drama with regards to the (Landis) case. And now we see something different.ā€

Lance doesnā€™t address the specific allegations - just dismisses them totally. PY

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Hillarious! The public never wants to believe anyone is on drugs. I remember how many people were hurt when Marion came clean. The losers on track shark never wanted to believe. lol. Were can I find that book? Amazon has used copies for 90 bucks. lil too much

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Who cares. If you ainā€™t cheating you ainā€™t trying - Right??

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I personally hope the topic of banned substances stays banned. I fear discussion of drugs would take over the great training discussions that always happen on here. I would hate to see it turn into a haven for future
Victor Conteā€™s to hook up with coaches and athletes.

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A partner of mine (esti and speedcoach met him) ran track in the 80ā€™s and he told me all kinds of horror steroid stories. He told me 1 of his teammates was taking them and the end result was his child was born without thumbs. He also told me he saw guys from other countries take them in front of him and offer some to him. He said oh no I like my liver and kidneys!

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I didnā€™t know roids were bad for liver and kidneys.?

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Hey guys,

I think we should respect Charlieā€™s wishes with regard to discussion of banned substances. I agree that even casual mention can quickly cause things to degenerate!

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agree. As much as I am at times frustrated at things like news items being a no go this thread, which started off as that, has quickly gone off track.

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Yes - it is unfortunate that people did not understand or respect the intent of the original postings.