Saturday Roundup

News
The LA Times Michael Hiltzik seems to have gotten his hands on a copy of "Positively False" the biography written by Floyd Landis with Loren Mooney, and asserts, among other things, that Pat McQuaid called Floyd Landis and threatened to make sure he was penniless if he chose to fight doping allegations:

"I'm sure you weren't doing anything that everyone else wasn't doing," McQuaid said, according to the book. "You're just the unlucky one who got caught." Landis says McQuaid advised him to "accept a suspension because there's no way you can win." When Landis said he would defend himself through the arbitration process established under the World Anti-Doping Code — a system that heavily favors the prosecutors — McQuaid replied, "You'll end up penniless." Indeed, Landis has said that his defense has cost nearly $2 million to date.

The San Diego Union Tribune's Mark Zeigler takes a quick look at various stories from yesterday on Floyd Landis' new book, "Postively False",which is due out at the end of the month.

NZZ Online posts a story expressing concerns about attendance at the upcoming Tour de Suisse because of doping scandals and the lack of the presence of any previous Tour de France winner, such as Floyd Landis. Tour de Suisse director Armin Meier believes that it may be impossible to actually win the Tour de France clean, and feels the race should be shortened.

The Boulder Report, in a piece with no direct Landis content,wonders what would happen if the inmates took over the prison, or at least if the athletes edited ESPN The Magazine. Joe Lindsey laments the fact that ESPN feels it's fair to trade objectivity in reporting for access to athletes. On another note, Joe talks about the recent cancer diagnosis of Dario Pegoretti, master bike builder and creator of Floyd Landis' now famous "Jack Handey" bike.


Blogs
Rant had a late night last night and wrote all about "Your Cheatin' Heart".Ivan Basso received a two year suspension for "intending" to dope, Rant also mentions Canadian athlete Jeff Adams' recent woes, and the fact that there will be no defending Tour de France winner in London at the "grande depart" this year:

I have mixed feelings about the Tour — and for that matter about the state of professional cycling right now. On the one hand, all these doping scandals could be a sign that maybe — just maybe — the sport is getting a grip on an ancient problem. And it is truly an old, old problem (dare I say “tradition”?) in professional cycling. But scandals don’t always lead to solutions. And what disheartens me most is the mess of an anti-doping system that currently exists.The Floyd Landis case certainly opened my eyes to that...

Spinopsys feels that Floyd Landis should name names when it comes to the allegation that USADA forestalled prosecution of other athletes in its' quest for Landis' hide. Spin also thinks that Floyd has more than jumped the shark.

Bike Hugger takes note of the upcoming Floyd Landis book tour for "Positively False" and wonders if Floyd will be tested for drugs during it.

Steroid Nation feel that after reading the accounts leaked by the press about the new Floyd Landis book"Positively False" Floyd is close to becoming an annoyance or worse, and should just clam up.

Sweetkerryberry shakes her fist at pro cycling, and thinks not only Floyd Landis but everyone dopes.

Triple Crankset illustrates how Floyd Landis might have appeared on dartboards at USADA meetings last fall, according to Floyd that is.