Floyd Landis to race in New Zealand
Floyd Landis will be returning to the southern hemisphere following his participation at the New Pathways for Pro Cycling conference in Geelong, Australia during the lead-up to the World Championships. The controversial American cyclist
will compete with the Orca Velo Merino team in six-day Tour of Southland in New Zealand. The formerly-banned cyclist competed with a composite team last year in the non-UCI event and finished in 17th overall, 16 minutes behind winner Heath Blackgrove.
“He had a great time last year,” said the team’s spokesman Richard McIlraith. “He enjoyed the race, he enjoyed the people and he left with the absolute intention of coming back this year and doing even better.”
Hayden Roulston, one of New Zealand’s top cyclists, has no personal opposition to Landis’ participation, but is concerned that the press will feel differently. Roulston, a former national road race champion, recently won the silver medal in the Commonwealth
Games road race. He was the overall winner of the Tour of Southland in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
“I supported him coming last year but in light of his revelations and accusations I just hope he does not attract or generate any negativity for the event or for cycling.”
Landis won the 2006 Tour de France but the title was revoked when a blood test taken during the race returned positive for EPO. Landis was banned for two years but maintained his innocence until this spring when he came clean about
his career-long doping as well as the invasive culture of doping that permeates much of professional cycling. He implicated the US Postal Service team, including Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel, and sparked a federal investigation into the former government-sponsored
team.
He often receives criticism as a liar, but he receives just as much support for his desire to help in the fight to keep young cyclists from making the same mistakes he did.
“He feels he has to put things right,” said Tour of Southland race director Bruce Ross to the Associated Press. "He realizes he's made mistakes, but he's served his time and now he just wants to get on with his life. It's fair to
say he was closely watched last year. He was a bit of a marked man so he wasn't really able to assert himself that much. But it's clear he really enjoyed it here and he wanted to come back. I'm sure he'll be welcomed by the other riders.”
The six-rider Orca Velo Merino team for the six-day stage race will be made up of Landis, Australians Samuel Witmitz and Will Tehan, and three local riders, Alex Ray, Andre de Jong and Andrew McNab. The prologue will be held in Invercargill
and five days later the route will take the peloton back to the same city for the finale.
“The Powernet Tour of Southland is a fantastic event,” said Roulston. “It’s a great race, well run and is a great opportunity for many of our domestic riders to experience a tough tour in New Zealand so it would be a real shame if he generated any negativity
like he has done recently at events overseas.”
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