Floyd Landis: Steroids, Doping and a Reputation in Crisis

“I have a new goal, to prove myself innocent.” Commented Floyd Landis on ABC’s Good Morning America, but Landis originally said the liquor he had the night before the stage or perhaps dehydration were possible reasons for the positive test.

According to Reuters, embattled Tour de France winner Floyd Landis vowed on Monday to clear his name. ”I have a new goal, to prove myself innocent,” Landis told ABC’s Good Morning America.

Samples taken from Landis during last month’s Tour revealed excessive amounts of the male sex hormone testosterone and the American faces being stripped of victory and a two-year ban.

The U.S. Cycling Federation has already referred the case to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). When asked whether he had ever used any performance-enhancing drug, Landis said, ‘No, I have not.”

Landis originally said the liquor he had the night before the stage or perhaps dehydration were possible reasons for the positive test. He acknowledged on Monday those explanations had caused him problems.

“This is where I got myself into trouble from the beginning,” said the American. “I can’t explain these test results because I don’t know exactly how this anomaly has occurred. ”I have come out in the press and tried to explain this from the beginning. I was forced into that situation because of leaks and announcements by the UCI (International Cycling Union) themselves, against their own rules, by the way.

“And this has caused some problems for me. All of these reasons that have come up, some of them from me, some of them from other people attributed to me, we need to try to forget about that and let the experts figure out what’s going on.” Meanwhile in Paris, an expert in the field of sports doping research said Landis faced an uphill task to clear his name.

“If they want to prove him innocent from a scientific point of view, they will have to re-invent physiology,” Gerard Dine, a researcher and an expert with the national organization for scientific research, told Reuters on Monday.

ABNORMALLY HIGH

A second Landis drugs test, or ‘B’ sample, was revealed over the weekend also to contain an abnormally high level of testosterone, making Landis likely to be the first Tour winner stripped of his title for doping in the 103-year history of the race.

Testosterone generally speeds recovery, builds strength and gives more energy. Landis, asked whether he contradicted himself with his various reasons for the positive test, said, “Number one, the whisky idea was not mine from the beginning. ”And the dehydration was a theory from the lawyers, which I must say I hired in Spain to represent me at the opening of the B sample but was not authorized by me to say something like that.

“I’m disappointed with that. And something has to be done about that. Landis had a poor showing on the Tour’s 16th stage and fell some eight minutes behind the leaders. However, he had a remarkable 17th stage to climb back into contention.

He told CBS’s The Early Show the race was the “result of 15 years of hard work”. ”A lot came together on the day after my bad day,” he said. “I was clearly the strongest guy there from the beginning.”

The UCI must now decide whether to take the title from the 30-year-old Landis and hand it to second-place finisher Oscar Pereiro of Spain. The Californian has already been sacked by his Swiss team Phonak.

When asked if he will race again and clear his name, he told CBS: “If I had to choose between the two, clearing my name is the most important one.” Should Landis get a UCI ban he would then not be able to sign up for a main circuit ProTour team for a further two years. At his age, that would effectively end his career.

A few comments and questions from the Reputation Doctor regarding cyclist Floyd Landis:

If you are innocent, why did you cancel your original “Tonight Show” interview the day after the Tour de France victory and other media major opportunities within the first few days of the crisis?

I believe Landis was afraid of the truth because of the consequences of his actions. I believe he is a doper and he is guilty. I also believe he felt he needed to hide the truth from the public. He tried unsuccessfully to hatch a plan of spin with his attorney and his agent and it all failed miserably.

If you are innocent, why are you so sheepish and nervous in the media?.

If I was innocent of such a crime, I would have much more passion to fight for my reputation in both words and actions. I would not be as worried about measuring each word that came out of my mouth because I know the truth and it would set me free. I would have been on TV immediately, on day one and willing to tell the world, especially on the Tonight Show the day following your victory. Landis, did you miss the Tonight Show episode with Hugh Grant? He moved from crisis to rehabilitation in a few small minutes of truth with a direct apology on the right TV show. Your appearance recently on the Tonight Show was a bomb. Excuses, excuses, excuses. They don’t help a reputation in crisis.

Why is your lead defense a legal one? Don’t you realize this whole thing is being played out in the court of public opinion?

Even you admit your attorney made big mistakes with his comments to the media regarding drinking whiskey as the accuse for the doping test results and other dumb and lying statements. Now you are saying it may be something you ate? Earth to Landis, make sure who ever speaks for you in the press has an agreement to share those messages with you before they share them with the world through the global media! Also, hire the best reputation management expert you can find. You needed crisis PR help the day the story broke, actually the day you first took performance enhancing drugs, but you weren’t ready for help then because you were still lying to yourself! Are you finally ready for help now? Put your pride and ego aside and do the right thing before it’s too late to rehab what’s left of your rep, if not for you then for your wife and family. Remember, they have your mudded name too.

Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

doping, Floyd Landis, steroids

• Share
•