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US doping agency skipped other cases: Landis book

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis, left, stops to greet supporter Tracey Hawkins of Sonora, California, after he competed in the Trek Hill Climb up Vail Pass in Vail, Colorado, on June 3. PHOTO: AFP

In his upcoming book, Tour de France champion Floyd Landis claims the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) spent so much money in an obsessive mission to nail him for drug violations that it passed on prosecuting other cases.

Landis' book, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France is scheduled for release on June 26.

Written by Landis with the help of a co-author, the book documents his career, his one-time partnership with Lance Armstrong, his stirring, comeback victory at last year's Tour de France and his struggle to retain the title in the wake of charges he used synthetic testosterone to win cycling's biggest race.

Much of the book repeats the defense Landis has offered since news of his positive test last year.

An arbitration panel is reviewing testimony from last month's hearing. The loser of the case is expected to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

One of the book's revelations is Landis' claim that his consultant, Paul Scott, heard from contacts inside the anti-doping community that USADA declined to pursue two strong cases of doping violations by US athletes in the autumn of last year.

Landis has estimated the cost of his defense will be around US$2 million; a cross-country fundraising tour has helped him pay for some of it.

USADA's annual budget is around US$12 million and Landis implies that if the agency's costs were about the same as his, its ability to pursue other cases would be harmed.

"My case became like a game of chicken, with USADA dragging it out and hoping I'd run out of money, and me spending money and making them look bad as I exposed the system," Landis wrote.

USADA general counsel Travis Tygart said he couldn't comment specifically on Landis' allegations because his case was still active.

"But for anyone to suggest we don't fairly investigate, pursue and analyze every potential anti-doping case, that's just false," Tygart said.

Landis publicist Michael Henson said the rider could not comment on the book until its release.

Landis reasserted his claim that he never used performance-enhancing drugs in his career and disputed the notion that everyone in cycling must cheat to win.

Landis also writes about the suicide last August of his wife's stepfather, David Witt.

Witt killed himself shortly after Landis' victory was thrown into question and Landis wrote that Witt wanted him to win the Tour so badly, it was possible the doping controversy could have played a part in Witt's death.

Throughout the book, Landis mentioned his longtime friend and former manager, Will Geoghegan, whose actions turned last month's arbitration hearing into a circus.

Geoghegan made news when Greg LeMond, a three-time Tour winner, showed up and told of being sexually abused as a child, then followed that bombshell with the revelation that Geoghegan threatened to reveal that secret if LeMond testified at the arbitration.

Although Landis knew of Geoghegan's call to LeMond, he brought his manager to the arbitration hearing the day of LeMond's testimony.

Not until after LeMond's bombshell did the Landis team publicly fire Geoghegan.
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