Landis takes accusations to television
Floyd Landis, winner of the 2006 Tour de France and former teammate of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, took his controversial doping allegations to the American television program Nightline. Landis, who has just competed in the BMC Cascade Cycling Classic, signed a deal to be the subject of a special on Nightline, which aired on Friday, July 23. For the first time, the cyclist has presented his accusations against Lance Armstrong on camera.
"Look, at some point, people have to tell their kids that Santa Claus isn't real," he said. "I hate to be the guy to do it, but it's just not real."
Neal Karlinsky, a correspondent for the news program, interviewed Landis in Bend, Oregon, the sight of the Cascade Cycling Classic. The corresponded went straight to the point, asking Landis directly about the allegation that Armstrong has been using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. Landis himself admitted in May that he participated in doping for most of his professional career, which caused him to be stripped of his title as 2006 Tour de France champion.
The cyclist told Karlinsky that he had seen Armstrong having a blood transfusion “multiple times,” and that he personally saw him taking performance enhancing drugs “at different training camps.”
“Like I said, there is EPO [Erythropoietin] you can use and you can use small amounts during the Tour de France if you need to monitor certain parameters that are better tested for or that are changed during blood transfusions.”
Landis himself had tested positive for synthetic testosterone in 2006 but maintained his denial for the last four years. His recent confession included sweeping accusations, not just Lance Armstrong, but many of his previous teams and teammates. This included the US Postal Service team, which he and Armstrong were teammates on, and he has accused the manager Johan Bruyneel of encouraging doping and agreed that he was calling Armstrong a liar.
“I denied it as well,” he said. “Yes, I suppose if that is the question, yes.”
The allegations have led Jeff Novisky, an agent for the US Food and Drug Administration, to head a federal grand jury investigation into the US Postal Service team. Reportedly, several former members of the team, including Landis, have been issued subpoenas.
“If [Armstrong] didn't win the Tour, someone else that was doped would have won the Tour,” said Landis, illustrating that doping is normal for cyclists. “In every single one of those Tours."
Armstrong has denied the allegations and attorney Tim Herman defended him by establishing that the accused had taken at least 300 tests in his career, making him the most tested cyclist so far, and never failed. Citing his four years of denial, Herman said that Landis has no credibility as a witness.
"[Armstrong] is extremely focused,” explained Herman. “He's gifted physically in ways that are very unique and he is disciplined, dedicated. He's the hardest-working athlete I've ever been around...Landis is a confessed perjurer and he is a liar, and I think, as Lance said ... when you taste milk to see if it's sour, you take a first taste and you don't have to drink the whole carton to know it's all sour."
Landis was filmed and interviewed in the race in the City of Bend, Oregon, which gave Nightline permission to visit and film the race. While the Cascade Cycling Classic received nation-wide publicity through the program, Landis said his motivations were honest.
“It’s about the truth. It’s about me feeling better for having mislead the public. I would like to take this opportunity to just say that I’m sorry for having lied. I’m glad I don’t have to lie. It was hard to do interviews where I was lying. I didn’t feel good about those.”
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