Frank
11-22-2006, 12:41 AM
I watched the interview of Floyd Landis by Bryant Gumbel tonight and came away wondering how do you ever resolve the drug issue in professional cycling?
As to Landis, I believe he denied not only ever using performance enhancing drugs, but never even been offered them or having first hand knowledge of anyone ever using them. Hard to imagine such a lack of any knowledge in his chosen profession, but that is his side of it.
I think there is no winning this case for him. I of course have no way of knowing if he is guilty or not, but it seems from all I have seen or read on this that he has little chance of overturning the test results. I can't imagine how hard it would be for him if he truly is guilty and having to continue telling the "I didn't use" story everytime to everyone close and far around you. I also can't imagine if he is indeed innocent how absolutely painfull and frustrating it must be to have the greatest athletic accomplishment he will ever have in his life taken away or, at best, darkly tarnished.
The bigger picture of drugs in cycling seems even more overwhelming. Facts and innuendo and circumstantial evidence seem to all run together, as do the number of riders who denied ever using drugs then come out and say they did. Riders kicked off the TDF before it starts because of some documentation found naming some and seeming to name others, yet Basso then signs for big money with the former Postal team.
Several guys I ride with have watched pro cycling for years and were strong supporters and daily watchers of Lance and his comeback from cancer and 7 TDF victories. One guy in particular was so outraged when Lance was even mentioned as possibly having doped that he would go into a rant and we would just stand back and watch. Now, even he has been beaten down by all the drug stuff and the Landis affair, telling me he still wants to believe Lance never used and that Floyd is innocent but in light of all the accusations and admissions and even the denials of pro riders and the Landis affair he now thinks they probably all use to some degree. He said he will just try to enjoy pro cycle racing as he does horse racing: enjoying their athletic accomplishments for what they are on their field of play without investing any emotional or personal attachment to them away from the sport. He says he will never get dragged back into the "are they or aren't they" drug using debate...he says he just no longer cares enough to care anymore.
As to Landis, I believe he denied not only ever using performance enhancing drugs, but never even been offered them or having first hand knowledge of anyone ever using them. Hard to imagine such a lack of any knowledge in his chosen profession, but that is his side of it.
I think there is no winning this case for him. I of course have no way of knowing if he is guilty or not, but it seems from all I have seen or read on this that he has little chance of overturning the test results. I can't imagine how hard it would be for him if he truly is guilty and having to continue telling the "I didn't use" story everytime to everyone close and far around you. I also can't imagine if he is indeed innocent how absolutely painfull and frustrating it must be to have the greatest athletic accomplishment he will ever have in his life taken away or, at best, darkly tarnished.
The bigger picture of drugs in cycling seems even more overwhelming. Facts and innuendo and circumstantial evidence seem to all run together, as do the number of riders who denied ever using drugs then come out and say they did. Riders kicked off the TDF before it starts because of some documentation found naming some and seeming to name others, yet Basso then signs for big money with the former Postal team.
Several guys I ride with have watched pro cycling for years and were strong supporters and daily watchers of Lance and his comeback from cancer and 7 TDF victories. One guy in particular was so outraged when Lance was even mentioned as possibly having doped that he would go into a rant and we would just stand back and watch. Now, even he has been beaten down by all the drug stuff and the Landis affair, telling me he still wants to believe Lance never used and that Floyd is innocent but in light of all the accusations and admissions and even the denials of pro riders and the Landis affair he now thinks they probably all use to some degree. He said he will just try to enjoy pro cycle racing as he does horse racing: enjoying their athletic accomplishments for what they are on their field of play without investing any emotional or personal attachment to them away from the sport. He says he will never get dragged back into the "are they or aren't they" drug using debate...he says he just no longer cares enough to care anymore.