Landis 'fesses up?!

[rich p]

Why would Landis make this up, Rich P,...... cos the guy s a fruitcake. If you want to hang LA you ve got to find a more convincing witness......Maybe, a certain... Mr Livingstone.....I presume.

Well, possibly but then I believed Frankie Andreu and his wife and Greg Lemond!
He may be a fruitcase but I can't see why he would make up the 'evidence' about the Girona fridge.

 

[Crackle]

It's impossible to say who's the greatest fantasist here. It's no smoking gun, it's not even a lipstick stain on the glass, it's a bit sad and desperate and gives further weight to anyone wishing to hide the truth about drugs in cycling. They can just point to Landis and get everyone to laugh along.

 

[mangaman]

It's impossible to say who's the greatest fantasist here. It's no smoking gun, it's not even a lipstick stain on the glass, it's a bit sad and desperate and gives further weight to anyone wishing to hide the truth about drugs in cycling. They can just point to Landis and get everyone to laugh along.

I'm not so sure crackle.

No-one has publicly accused Armstrong and his team of institutional doping in such graphic detail. That is a smoking gun for my money.

If it's not true, the legal might of Lance will fall on Landis like a tonne of bricks.

If Lance just makes vague inferences that Landis is off his rocker, but doesn't pursue legal action, it's hard not to think this is all true.

Why wouldn't Lance sue Landis - it's either true, or one of the most libellous statements in sporting history.

 

[Crackle]

Well we'll wait and see, Armstrong is not shy about taking action, he's done it before but I kind of think he doesn't need to, Landis has no credibility now. It's not that I don't believe him but this is going to carry no weight at any level that matters except amongst racing fans.

 

[mangaman]

Well we'll wait and see, Armstrong is not shy about taking action, he's done it before but I kind of think he doesn't need to, Landis has no credibility now. It's not that I don't believe him but this is going to carry no weight at any level that matters except amongst racing fans.

I'm not so sure - the e-mails are pretty cohehent and specific.

Landis (like Virenque/Hamilton et al always initially challenge the ban), but that doesn't make him mentally deluded - they all do it.

He's also implicated others, such as Hincapie - surely he would consider legal action if this was all made up?

Everyone knows Landis lied and tried every trick in the book to get off, but that doesn't make him wrong on this.

Hamilton was the same and a doping manual for him came out of Operation Puerto, implying industrial strength doping and then he was tested positive again on his comeback.

Floyd's made very, very specific allegations against people.

It will be interesting to see the response - saying Flandis is mad is not enough- the individual, detailed doping allegations need to be disproved.

The onus is on Lance / Hincapie / Leipheimer etc I feel. If someone at my work said I was systematically doing something illegal and wrong, it wouldn't be enough for me to try to rubbish the accuser.

My employer would expect me to prove my innocence.

 

[lukesdad]

Not at all.The onus is to prove guilt not innocence.

 

[psmiffy]

Crackle +1 why bother a) Landis has not got any money As Crackle said Landis has no credability - It would be what I believe the Americans call a slam dunk in any American Court - Armstrong would probably get more negative press from the cruelty aspect c) I would think the US Justice Department has got a prior claim

In view of the fact there would appear to be no evidence - and if there was there are plenty of people out there that would form a line to serve it up - has not happened - Armstrong can poo poo the claims without losing any sleep or going to any effort - However if there is evidence however dodgy (and you would have to be a very brave publisher to serve it up as fact) then that would be a different matter

 

[lukesdad]

Let s look at it from a different angle for a minute shall we. OK LA s a super talent but, we ve got to build a super team around him, we ll keep him squeaky clean, but the rest of the guys aren t up to it. So...... we ll pay em aload of dosh and if they get caught they re on their own. Everythings fine untill Landis who s a loose cannon goes off his head. Plausible..?
But as I indicated before, Kevin Livingstone wants no part in it. Goes to Telekom and finds the same thing happening. Like I said you ve got to find a reliable witness.

 

[maurice]

Another statement from Lance here, seems to rule out legal action against Landis.

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_lance-responds-landis-allegations/

 

[mangaman]

Crackle +1 why bother a) Landis has not got any money As Crackle said Landis has no credability - It would be what I believe the Americans call a slam dunk in any American Court - Armstrong would probably get more negative press from the cruelty aspect c) I would think the US Justice Department has got a prior claim

In view of the fact there would appear to be no evidence - and if there was there are plenty of people out there that would form a line to serve it up - has not happened - Armstrong can poo poo the claims without losing any sleep or going to any effort - However if there is evidence however dodgy (and you would have to be a very brave publisher to serve it up as fact) then that would be a different matter

If it's such a slam dunk legally, presumably Lance / Hincapie / Leipheimer / Bruyneel will be forming an orderly queue to sue his ass?

There are a lot of people in the world that have always had doubts about Bruyneel/Lance etc and I think you'll find Landis' accusations will sound accurate in a lot of people's minds unless they have eveidence the're untrue.

I'm not saying you're guilty until proved innocent, but this has been an issue for years - eg Lance's positive 1999 EPO tests that he's never denied, the whole shabby Andreu/Lemond behaviour by Lance. His defence of Ferrari and opposition to anti-dopers like Bassons all add up Armstrong having a dubious reputation regarding doping.

I'll wait and see what Lance does,before rubbishung Landis's claims. If it's a slam dunk then he'll sue him and the evidence will come out

If he doesn't and neither do Hincapie/Levi/Bruyneel I'll find that suspicious to the point of an admission of guilt

 

[Chuffy]

Anyone think that Landis is almost daring Tex and Hog to take legal action? What's the betting that he's got a video of them all slurping down EPO cocktails tucked up his sleeve to be whipped out in a court case?

Although as I've said before, too many people are invested in Teflon Tex for anything, anything at all to stick.

 

[Chuffy]

Can't wait for next weeks Toto!

 

[mangaman]

Another statement from Lance here, seems to rule out legal action against Landis.

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_lance-responds-landis-allegations/

Cross posted - but as long as Lance does nothing but casts vague aspertions on Floyd's sanity I will not be convinced.

Someone who has been genuinly libelled in such a spectactular way as Floyd has done - ie rubbished Lance's entire career - would recieve the full Armstrong legal team on their ass. When that happens and things come out in a court, I'll have some more faith.

 

[mangaman]

Anyone think that Landis is almost daring Tex and Hog to take legal action? What's the betting that he's got a video of them all slurping down EPO cocktails tucked up his sleeve to be whipped out in a court case?

Although as I've said before, too many people are invested in Teflon Tex for anything, anything at all to stick.

I think you must be right Chuffy - as I have said his e-mails would basically destroy Lance and his team and the whole Livestrong myth.

I don't think Landis is mad - I think he has something on Lance. Otherwise he will be slaughtered in court.

I would have expected Lance's lawyers to have acted already, but nothing yet?

 

[Chuffy]

Tex is notoriously litigious but he also, IIRC, likes to settle stuff out of court if he knows that a court case would lead to potentially embarrassing revelations. I think that Landis is playing poker and Tex isn't entirely sure what he might have in his hand....