US cyclist Floyd Landis picked up some cuts and bruises but also some much-needed peace of mind in finishing second in a mountain bike race on Saturday.
Landis, disgraced by a doping scandal after winning last year's Tour de France, was unable to defend his title this year.
So while those who took place in this year's drug-tainted Tour were recovering from their exertions, Landis was racing to second place behind five-time winner Dave Wiens in the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race.
PHOTO: AP
"This race was good because it was something to train for and I could focus on that," Landis said.
"I couldn't completely forget about the other stuff, but at least it was something to focus on," he said. "When there's nothing going on, I just end up thinking about things."
He's had a lot to think about.
Landis has vehemently denied doping despite positive tests on two samples, outlining his defense in his book, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour De France.
Landis also underwent hip replacement surgery last September and participated in an arbitration hearing that will determine whether he gets to retain his Tour title. He returned to racing in June at the Tevas Games in Vail, Colorado.
Four-time defending champion Dave Wiens of Gunnison, Colorado, set the pace early at Leadville and Landis was right with him despite crashing on downhill about an hour into the race. Landis shook of a flat tire to nearly catch Wiens just past the halfway point, but finished 1 minute, 43 seconds behind Wiens' record of 6 hours, 58 minutes, 47 seconds.
"I chased too hard after the flat," said Landis, bandages on three fingertips and blood-soaked gauze from just above the knee to his ankle. "He probably was going to win anyway, even without the flat. He's in great shape."
Landis hasn't heard when the arbitration panel will make its ruling and has yet to schedule future races because of the uncertainty.
"It's been three months since the hearing and I haven't heard a word -- nothing at all," Landis said. "If they're going to do it right and they're going to take their time, that's fine, I don't mind. I just don't know what the time frame is. It would make it a lot more simple if they just said `it'll be next January.' That'd be fine."
Dismayed
Landis was dismayed at the doping scandals that blighted last year's Tour de France, with several riders, including leader Michael Rasmussen, kicked out of the race because of doping issues, casting the future of the race in doubt.
"You've got all of the organizations and none of them talk to each other," Landis said.
"They just go straight to the press," he said. "Fine, I'm not saying they should try to hide it, but the fans have no idea what to make of it. It's just chaos. If they've got a problem, they should just get together and talk to each other first."
So far, Landis hasn't seen signs that the scandals have permanently hurt the sport.
He was swarmed at the start of the Leadville race by fans and received similar greetings during a book tour last month.
"Whether people think I'm innocent or guilty, they all agree that this system doesn't work," Landis said. "It's been a year and a month and there's not even a decision. That doesn't make any sense. Even if they think I'm guilty, they have to believe that sooner or later an innocent person's going to come along and get [hurt]."
At least Landis has had some good news lately -- his book is selling well.
Financial problems
Facing financial problems just a few months ago, Landis was able to pay attorney fees with advance money from the book and hasn't yet started looking at life after racing. Of course, he's still waiting for that decision that could change everything.
"Everything is unknown, when it's going to happen, what it's going to be, there's just no indication. I'm not used to that," Landis said. "I like to have a goal, I like to have something to work toward. I don't have that and that part is making me crazy.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but