French Press: Late afternoon at the cafe in Paris, friday

Two new stories appeared on the online sites dring the day. The second mentions TbV. The first is from Sport24:

[MORE]

LeMond tells all
by Arnaud Kenigsberg, Sport24.com

New excitement in the Floyd Landis hearing with the Amrican anti-doping agency. Greg LeMond revealed he had received pressure from the 2006 Tour de France victor's entourage that he not testify.

"That shows their level of ignorance, their lack of intelligence, and who they really are." It was a Greg LeMond in a state of shock who testified Thursday in the Landis case, at the hearing for the American anti-doping agency. The triple victor of the Tour de France was making new waves, pushing Landis a little further into his deepest defenses. The winner of the 2006 Tour is today in a very delicate position following his predecessor's serious accusations.

"No one owns me"

Greg LeMond reounted a phone call allegedly from Will Geoghegan--at the time associated with Landis--Wednesday. "It's your uncle and I will be there tomorrow. I will be there tomorrow and we are going to talk about the way we used to hide your dick." The American champion, who insisted that Geoghegan had finally admitted he was the author of this con, continued by referrring to another telephone call, dating back to August 2006, between himself and Landis: "I said to him that I had been the victim of sexual abuse before beginning in cycling, and that the fact of having kept this secret practically destroyed me. I shared that with him to show what happens when one keeps things secret." According to LeMond, this call (picked up in the columns of the New York Times) came from Landis himself, the day after the test which revealed too high a level of exogenous testosterone in the ex-Phonak rider's urine.

Without being explicigt, the champion made it understood in his statement that the accused was guilty of doping. And when he was asked whrether his testimony was the consequence of the alleged threat received by phone, LeMond replied: "No one owns me. There are lot of people who don't want to face facts about cycling because of the money it brings in. I am not someone who can be bought or silenced. I do what is right, and what seemed right to me was to come here and speak the truth."

Landis with his back to the wall

Following this testimony, LeMond again insisted that he had been very frightened, and that he was going to pursue legal action against Geoghegan. Landis lawyer was strenous in insisting that the association between the rider amd Will Geoghegan was ended, effective immediately. But the 2006 Tour winner's position is agreed to be more and more difficult to defend. In addition to the scientific results, the methods being used by his defense and the testimony heard so far are not going in his favor. And if the three judges, who will pronounce their verdict regarding his culpability at the end of the hearings, consider him a cheater, the American could be stripped of his title and suspended for two years.

The second story is from the Belgian site "7 Sur 7":

Floyd Landis' tattered image

The image of Floyd Landis, who appeared in Los Angeles to respond to accusations of doping in the Tour de France, was seriously dirtied after Thursday s deposition by Greg LeMond, who stated that someone near to Landis threatened him by saying he would reveal an old story of sexual abuse.

In ten months, since the announcement of his positive test following the 17th stage of his victorious Tour de France, Landis claims he has spent a million dollars to try to defend his case and to give himself the image of a simple man, honest and the victim of a "conspiracy" and errors. In a few minutes Wednesday evening, Will Geoghegan, his old friend and representative, may have cost him that million dollars.

Threats

The story begins in August 2006, when the former champion Greg LeMond revealed to Landis under seal of secrecy that he had been a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood. LeMond stated Thursday that he had received a phone call from Will Geoghegan before the hearing which threatened him with speaking publicly of this matter if he testified against Landis.

Landis lawyers immediately reacted to this low blow and this real embarrassment of a "friend." (He now has only his wife to support him in the hearing room.) After having received this blow--Floyd Landis closed his eyes while listening to this pathetic story--his counsellors tried vainly to strike LeMond's testimony.

Comments

They then asked to place on the record that Mr. Geoghegan had been "given his leave" by their client. Too late. The damage was certainly done, at least in the realm of image. The bloggers on the site "Trust But Verify," who follow and support Landis, were already receiving irate comments within minutes after these revelations. Up to that point, comments had been about 85% favorable for Landis; by the end of the afternoon Thursday the trend was 50-50.

Landis' opinion of LeMond

Finally, LeMond's testimony ended with the reading of a comment that Landis had posted on an internet site in November. The former leader of the Phonak team says clearly what he thinks of LeMond. "What Greg revealed to me is exactly what he does not want brought out. . . . However, if he opens his mouth again and the name Floyd comes out, I will tell you things that you will all wish you had not known. . . For your information, I do not know Greg, and I have no more respect for Greg than I have for people who go through life blaming others for their own problems. You are not the victim of others, Greg, you are a pathetic human being who believes that if others weren't cheating (not sure of your subject), you would be President. . ." Little "compliments," which could well turn against their author.

As an aside, Landis had planned Thursday morning to switch the yellow tie he had worn since the beginning of the week for a black one, acccompanied by a suit and shirt of the same color. He had explained that it was a gesture toward his sadness at seeing LeMond testify against him. He did not know that this outfit would take on a whole different meaning by the end of the day.