In a move intended to clear his conscience, American cyclist Floyd Landis attempted to sully the reputation of former teammate and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong by alleging that Armstrong was aided by a wide variety of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Lance hasn’t responded yet but the cycling team manager Johan Bruyneel has. Floyd Landis said that Bruyneel is the man who allegedly introduced Landis to PEDs, and Johan Bruyneel has fashioned an appropriate response on Lance Armstrong’s Live Strong website.
Resource for this article: Lance Armstrong responds to Landis drug accusations via manager
Lance Armstrong did not participate in doping, says Bruyneel
Johan Bruyneel, manager of former Lance Armstrong/Floyd Landis cycling team U.S. Postal (which now is Team RadioShack), told the media that every allegation Floyd Landis made is a lie. Bruyneel says that when Landis tested positive following his 2006 Tour de France victory, he began to contact Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong and threatened to blackmail them, perhaps even demanding internet loans. Ever since then, according to Bruyneel, Floyd Landis changed his story about PEDs numerous times and even wrote a book about the affair. “For me, it’s clear we’re dealing with someone who is bitter,” Bruyneel said to the press. “Floyd has always been an angry person, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.” Basically, the energy sometimes would motivate Landis for performance but other times caused him to lash out at his friends. Both Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel are uncertain as to Floyd Landis’ timing, whether there was a specific reason to come forward now with a new story.
A distraction for Team RadioShack
Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel would like to put the Floyd Landis situation behind them as Team RadioShack prepares for the Tour of California. In Bruyneel’s words, the Landis accusations aren’t even extortion, but rather “a sad story”:
“Knowing the personality, his history, having had him on the team, I mean we took Floyd on the team when he was in bad financial shape after the Mercury fiasco and he had no money. I remember he told me, ‘Luckily you got me on the team because I was almost forced to sell my house to pay my bills.’ Since then I think it’s been up and down for Floyd, and I would advise him to look for professional help, and I’m not talking about lawyers, I’m talking about other help.”
Floyd Landis was on top of the world
Floyd Landis’ Tour de France victory in 2006 made him a household name. Unfortunately, his struggles with cycling officials have upstaged any good that may have come from his achievement. Lance Armstrong had been rumored to have used similar PEDs to Landis, but Armstrong has passed multiple drug tests. Except for some French officials who might just resent his former Tour de France dominance, that has satisfied the cycling authority. Floyd Landis has damaged the reputation of American cycling, perhaps beyond repair. The mess might have to be cleaned up by another young cyclist with the will and ability of Lance Armstrong.
Additional information at these websites
Johan Bruyneel
http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_johan-bruyneel-comments-landis-situation/
