Are Cyclists Dupes?

Rock Racing owner Michael Ball is creating shock waves in the cycling world, he is signing former cyclists with alleged doping pasts. His latest idea is to possibly hire former Tour de France winner Floyd Landis as a technical advisor for Rock Racing after former director sportif Frankie Andreu resigned. Andreu is complaining that he had no control over personnel decisions of Rock Racing. Andreu complained that Ball is hiring former dopers and misfits, tarnishing cycling's respectable image. Outlaws are not wanted here.

Funny all this outrage over a man who designs and sells clothing that appeal to people who have a counter culture view of the world and who probably appreciate tattooed riders who kick ass. After all Rock Racing is all about style man, you know it is cool to wear outrageous apparel that shocks the establishment squares.

Right on! The establishment is US Cycling and USADA, the evil empire. US Cycling wants to rid the world of people who languish under a cloud of suspicion, especially Floyd Landis. Landis unlike Frankie Andreu is persona non grata in cycling. Floyd Landis had his name removed from the history books of the Tour de France by Christian Prudhomme and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) after an extremely bizarre ceremony of breaking mirrors. This all happened before the commencement of the AAA arbitration hearing. The revisionists were racing to punish the poster boy of doping Floyd Landis in classic Stalinist style. Those of us who were convinced that Amaury Sport Organisation's rush to judgement was not justified by the evidence supporting the Adverse Analytical Finding were called suckers and dupes by the blood lusting sport pundits. Those of us with finer sensibilities and a sense of decency were assured that the circus we were witnessing was necessary to deter further use of PED's by drawing attention to devious cheaters who refuse to publicly acknowledge their crimes. When the AAA Panel ruled against Landis in a 2-1 decision the pundits came alive again demanding an immediate confession of doping by Landis to clear the air; not a hopeless appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport. Meantime Michael Ball owner of Rock Racing creates a seismic shock wave by allegedly offering Floyd Landis a contract as technical advisor while the CAS case is still pending. This news was met with strenuous objections by US Cycling who insists that Landis will never be granted a license and will be refused permission to participate in any capacity in any US Cycling sanctioned race. US Cycling is acting like a petty tyrant. After all US Cycling should consider the Floyd Landis Court of Arbitration of Sport appeal before making extreme statements. The outcome of the March 2008 CAS appeal will be final. US Cycling may rue the day. After all, the CAS arbitrators may agree that LNDD is incapable of measuring anything with precision, and there are violations of WADA International Standards of Laboratories to consider.

Unfortunately, I did depart on a tangent. I was more interested in comparison and contrast of attitudes towards known dopers and suspected dopers, say Frankie Andreu who admitted doping with EPO to build endurance before the 1999 Tour de France, and Floyd Landis who allegedly used synthetic testosterone before Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour. Frankie Andreu is supposed to be some sort of inspiring ethical man. Andreu merely doped with EPO; a prohibited substance which increases red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and increase volume oxygen maximum (VO2 MAX) which increases aerobic capacity of the mitochondria to provide energy to the muscle cell. Andreu has maintained that he doped in order to protect his General Classification rider Lance Armstrong and he has stated that at the time he felt the doping was justified. Later, of course, Andreu insists that he had a sudden change of heart and that he recognized that what he did was wrong and that he felt bad about cheating his competition. To make peace with his soul, Andreu, after remorseful reflection did confess his crimes. Andreu was immediately forgiven and accepted as an exemplary director sportif by United States Postal Service, Toyota-United, and Rock Racing. In contrast, Floyd Landis is accused of synthetic testosterone use for one stage; a prohibited substance with debatable acute performance enhancing benefits. As a consequence of this alleged violation Landis must now be banned for life from professional cycling. Andreu sets a good example to follow while Landis is a pariah.

Still confused? The issue once again is centered around making amends for crimes committed against your fellow cyclists and your attitude toward resolving the issue by confession and making remorseful apologies to the establishment. A case study is Marion Jones and the reaction of the sporting media and how this should apply to Floyd Landis and his persistent denials. Sports pundits will insist that any accused athlete is guilty and cyclists who doubt are fools. Pundits will also insist that accusers are correct, without ulterior motive, and should be believed. However, in the Marion Jones case perhaps confession is not enough, perhaps we have raised the bar, perhaps confession in the Frankie Andreu vein is not enough to wash away sins of the past, the steroid era requires scorn heaped upon scorn, not forgiveness. There does seem to be a limit of how far the deceived sport fanatic will go before a remorseful confession is not enough to absolve sin. Send these people to prison. The pundits are in agreement, Floyd Landis will confess in time and not be forgiven and we cyclists will have our eyes opened as to the truth.

These pundits are assuring we cyclist doubters that we are naive to suppose that Floyd Landis is not a liar in the vein of Marion Jones who after years of denial tearfully recanted her lies with truthful admissions. Jones admitted her litany of crimes, she doped using the clear, she competed in the Olympics juiced, she accepted medals under false pretenses, she lied to Federal investigators, she committed perjury, she insisted her accusers were the liars with self-righteous indignation. Jones even sued Victor Conte of BALCO fame for slander and libel. A beautifully orchestrated hoax to be sure.

Well people have told me for over a year that I am a fool because I believe in honesty and integrity in deposed Tour de France winner Floyd Landis. Some have insisted that in time Floyd Landis will pull a Marion Jones and tearfully admit his doping past in full detail. Maybe so, maybe not. In the current sports culture any person accused of using PED's and who denies the accusations are automatically considered liars. Accusers are only exposing truth. Well in some people I do not feel that accusers have honesty and integrity and they do display an awful double standard of dubious personal motivations.

I mention one case: Betsy Andreu and the alleged bedside confession of Lance Armstrong. One wonders if Betsy Andreu will ever tearfully confess that she lied under oath and falsely accused Lance Armstrong of doping. My bet is that the "iron lady" of cycling will never feel any remorse for her wrong doing. Of course, Betsy Andreu may have done nothing wrong, she may have been mistaken in her recollections. This may be possible, however the sporting pundits may be right, there is no honesty in anyone connected with doping cases; accused or accuser. All things considered maybe we can all do without the Andreu couple in cycling. We can certainly do without dopers. But in all cases it is never to late to make amends.

Jon