The New York Times reports that Floyd Landis has “come clean” about his past use of performance enhancing drugs. He admits to doping (using EPO, testosterone, human growth hormone and blood transfusions) beginning in 2002, when he was riding with Lance Armstrong on the US Postal team. He also claims that Armstrong, George Hincapie, and others were also doping. Since Landis has no evidence that any of the other cyclists named were also doping, some of his claims must be viewed skeptically.
Landis also claims that he spent $90,000 per year on his doping. That’s a lot of money, given that for most of those years Armstrong was probably the big money winner on US Postal.
Despite numerous protests, books, and announcements, and spending a reported $2 million defending his reputation in court, Landis was never cleared of his positive test after his 2006 Tour de France victory. In light of that positive test, this admission by Landis is not very surprising. And for Armstrong, unsubstantiated claims that he doped have been thick on the ground for years, so one more, even when made by one of his most important team mates during his prime, is likely to have little effect on his reputation.
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