Cyclist Who Was Stripped of Title Claims He Used Performance-Enhancing Drugs with Lance Armstrong

An American cyclist who was stripped of the Tour De France title in 2006 after failing a drug test has managed to drop a few bombshells, and they aren't putting Lance Armstrong in a good light. The Wall Street Journal was able to review three of an unknown number of e-mails sent by disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis to biking officials and sponsors, in which he alleges drug use among Armstrong and other American cyclists. Judging from the content revealed in the WSJ's story, Landis' claims could be devestating to both Armstrong and his coach if they are true.

Landis said that he and other American riders learned how to use steroids, conduct blood transfusions, and take the synthetic blood booster Erythropoietin (or EPO). In an April 30th e-mail observed by the Journal, Landis addressed Stephen Johnson, the president of USA Cycling. He dropped another bombshell--that Armstrong's coach was the one who had introduced him to doping, during his first two years on the U.S. Postal Service team. What's more, Landis said Mr. Bruyneel taught him how to carry out blood transfusions that doping officials wouldn't be able to detect. He added that Mr. Armstrong helped him understand the way the drugs worked.

In what is probably the biggest blast to come out of the accusations, the former competitor mentions a 2003 trip he made to a training camp in Spain, where he says he had blood extracted in Armstrong's apartment for the purpose of later using it in the Tour de France. According to the story, blood bags belonging to both Armstrong and his then-teammate George Hincapie were kept in a refrigerator. The disgraced cyclist claims that Armstrong had him check the temperature of the blood daily. When Armstrong went out of town, he allegedly asked Landis to make sure that the electricity didn't go off and ruin the blood. (Wall Street Journal)

Earlier today Lance Armstrong held a press conference in which he denied the allegations made by Floyd Landis, the Associated Press reported. The conference took place before Armstrong was to compete in the Tour of California. "It's our word against his word,'' he said before the fifth stage of the race. "Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago.''

We don't wanna believe it... but Landis' account is so detailed, i.e. the Spain trip..........


WSJ.com. Cyclist Floyd Landis Admits Doping, Alleges Use by Armstrong and Others. May 20th, 2010.