F. Landis on FNC

Just A User said:

I caught part of an interview with him this morning on FOX. He was
promoting his book "Positively False" still maintaining his innocence.
Hopes to have the results of some test back in a couple of weeks. I
don't know what to make of him any more. While I do believe that some
prof. riders probably do use performance enhancing substances, I don't
know that I believe that he, or for that matter L.A. used them. There
seems to be an awful lot of prejudice against American riders,
especially if they win. But then again that is the perception I get by
watching American media.

Ken

It's darned hard to say there's prejudice against American riders,
considering Spanish riders (such as Heras, who had to give up is "Tour of
Spain" crown), Italian riders (Basso is a start), French riders (Virenque,
most prominently), German riders (Ullrich) and other nationalities who've
been tagged in various drug scandals. Plus there's the Dane, Riis, who's now
admitted to doping when he won the TdF. I'm only touching the surface here.

Whatever else is going on -- and there's a lot -- it's hard to contend
there's somehow some sort of Anti-American conspiracy. (Remember, Tyler
Hamilton got to keep his Olympic medal on a technicality (he was thrown out
of the Tour of Spain for doping shortly after winning the Olympic gold. His
Olympic A sample failed, but the B sample had been improperly handled and
could not be tested.)

Landis did do a good job of showing the current drug testing procedures
aren't as controlled as the procedures in your neighborhood McDonald's, but
that's a long way from saying cycling is clean.

Mike Kruger said:

Just A User said:

I caught part of an interview with him this morning on FOX. He was
promoting his book "Positively False" still maintaining his innocence.
Hopes to have the results of some test back in a couple of weeks. I
don't know what to make of him any more. While I do believe that some
prof. riders probably do use performance enhancing substances, I don't
know that I believe that he, or for that matter L.A. used them. There
seems to be an awful lot of prejudice against American riders,
especially if they win. But then again that is the perception I get by
watching American media.

Ken

It's darned hard to say there's prejudice against American riders,
considering Spanish riders (such as Heras, who had to give up is "Tour of
Spain" crown), Italian riders (Basso is a start), French riders (Virenque,
most prominently), German riders (Ullrich) and other nationalities who've
been tagged in various drug scandals. Plus there's the Dane, Riis, who's now
admitted to doping when he won the TdF. I'm only touching the surface here.

Whatever else is going on -- and there's a lot -- it's hard to contend
there's somehow some sort of Anti-American conspiracy. (Remember, Tyler
Hamilton got to keep his Olympic medal on a technicality (he was thrown out
of the Tour of Spain for doping shortly after winning the Olympic gold. His
Olympic A sample failed, but the B sample had been improperly handled and
could not be tested.)

Landis did do a good job of showing the current drug testing procedures
aren't as controlled as the procedures in your neighborhood McDonald's, but
that's a long way from saying cycling is clean.

Well like I said that is the perception one might get if ALL they
listened to was the american media. But I have read enough other things
to know that there are plenty of others that have been accused and
"proven" of using P.E.S.

Ken

Mike Kruger said:

Landis did do a good job of showing the current drug testing procedures
aren't as controlled as the procedures in your neighborhood McDonald's, but
that's a long way from saying cycling is clean.

I think there are two major doping issues in pro cycling. One is the
indisputable fact that doping does occur but the other is the seeming
incompetence of WADA and their refusal to admit that there might be
room for improvement in their procedures.
I can't recall where I read it but I recently read an interview of
WADA chairman Richard Pound and the Landis case was discussed. The
overall impression I got from the interview was that Pound really
doesn't care if Landis doped or if testing procedures can be improved.
His comments seemed focused solely on protecting the image and "final
arbiter" status of WADA. I hope that isn't the case because if it is
Landis is unlikely to get a fair hearing and WADA is just another
example of good intentions gone awry.

Regards,
Bob Hunt