Landis Guilty

The bad news came in Saturday, Floyd's B sample was positive for excessive testosterone ratios. The damning part of the result was that it was from synthetic or unnatural sources. According the lab, the method for testing for synthetic is foolproof, 100% accurate.

I've read the comments, heard the discussions, and it all boils down to disappointment in my mind. Initially, people called me to tell me they wouldn't spend another dime in "that" country! Lately, the emails have said 'too bad about Floyd', or 'I wish he hadn't done it'. Many people still side with him, but I can't. I stood by Tyler Hamilton too, and well, enough said. There is no conspiracy afoot by the French to get even with those bothersome Americans. Nobody slipped a mickey into Floyd's beer. I have a hard time accepting it, but the results seem pretty bullet proof. Sorry Floyd, I'm disappointed. Am I surprised that a cyclist is doping? No. I am surprised that he thought he could pass it off. I don't even care about the appeals process that now follows.

A journalist asked me today my impressions and wondered how this would affect future sales to see the Tour de France; here were my answers:

There is no doubt that doping is prevalent in cycling and the fact that cycling tests its athletes so rigorously and regularly turns up violators confirms that. Its a credit to cycling that they are trying to do something about it, versus American baseball and other pro sports and the Olympic type sports. I have contact with many people in France with connections to pro cycling and they hear about it all the time from the young riders coming up through the development ranks.

I think Europeans in general, and not just the French are cynical about pro cycling. Many people in Europe who follow cycling assume that they all dope. I suppose the Tour directors at ASO and the editors at L'Equipe feel some vindication that these results of Landis are so rock solid; just because there was not the same solid evidence against Armstrong whom they accused quite publicly of doping. I don't include "The French" in this context. "The French" continually get a bashing over here, but they - The French people - have nothing to take revenge for because of Armstrong's long run. I think many French, like many people worldwide took a lot of inspiration from Armstrong. I know for a fact that the French respected his leadership and command of the race. They, like Americans and people everywhere have to have more doubts about Armstrong because of the Landis Affair, not to mention the Spanish sting pre-Tour this year that took out the top contenders ULRICH and BASSO - and the proof of their guilt is still not in! Don't forget Tyler Hamilton.

About future bookings because of these matters, it may have an impact. But, I can tell you already that since Armstrong retired demand had fallen off the table. We still ran 4 groups this year, and we have a lot of requests for next year, so I think we have passed the fashion of going to the Tour and still have the traditional cyclist fanatic who is more inspired to go to France to ride the legendary mountains than follow a particular athlete. There will always be drama at the Tour, and there will always be Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Ventoux, Tourmalet, etc. So, we should be ok, if not as busy as during the Armstrong era. I would think other long term tour operations would say the same.