The Shot Heard Round The World: Landis

The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy piece today in which the disgraced and disqualified 2006 Tour de France winner (and loser), Floyd Landis, took pot shots at several of the biggest names in cycling, including the 7 time TdF winner and Team Radio Shack leader, Lance Armstrong.

Landis alleges that he and his fellow U.S. Postal Service teammates routinely used testosterone patches and Erythropoietin (EPO) under the instruction of coach Johan Bruyneel and the President of USA Cycling, Stephen Johnson. Landis implicated Armstrong, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and essentially the entire professional cycling establishment in colluding to promote and disseminate performance enhancing drugs to the peloton of professional cyclists.

Until these latest emails were sent to ESPN and The Wall Street Journal, Landis has vehemently denied ever using performance enhancing drugs. Landis even secured a book deal from Simon Spotlight Entertainmen for Positively False, a book in which he co-authored an in-depth denial of the allegations leveled against him.

Floyd Landis took the matter to court, which resulted in the bizarre and emotional testimony of three-time Tour de france winner Greg Lemond, who testified under oath that he had implored Landis to "save cycling" with a simple admission to doping. Lemond further testified that he had shared confidential details of his childhood sexual abuse with Landis in an attempt to draw him into an honest confession and help clear his conscience. A 2007 report from ESPN details the matter here:

The only sure bet is that Landis' battle to win over public opinion took a massive hit Thursday after his business manager, former teammate and close friend Will Geoghegan was revealed to have made a legally ill-advised and personally vicious phone call to LeMond on the eve of LeMond's appearance at Landis' arbitration hearing.

Everyone in the courtroom knew LeMond agreed to testify for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency because he was out to help the agency's case against Landis. Case insiders also knew that the two riders had an acrimonious phone conversation last August, shortly after Landis' positive tests were announced, and assumed LeMond would describe that call in unflattering terms.

But few people were prepared for the broadside LeMond delivered with the simple, modern act of handing his BlackBerry to USADA lawyer Matt Barnett, who placed it on the podium to display the phone number on an overhead projector.

The number shown was one reporters covering the case had entered in their cell phones many times over the past few months as Geoghegan barnstormed the country with his friend Landis, rallying support for Landis and asking fans for contributions to fund his defense.

One can only imagine how donors to the Floyd Fairness Fund felt when they learned about what LeMond said next.

The courtroom was silent and still, except for Landis lawyer Maurice Suh, who whirled toward Geoghegan at the first mention of the phone call and began whispering to him intensely. Geoghegan, a former rider who first befriended Landis when Landis was a teenager, sat with his head bowed and his exposed neck flushed crimson in the row of seats behind the defense table.

LeMond earlier had said that during the August phone call, he confided details of his own childhood sexual abuse to Landis and implored him to admit that he had doped, a confession LeMond said could "save cycling" and Landis' own mental health.

"You were sharing this in an effort to help him?" Barnett asked.

"Yes," LeMond said.

According to LeMond, Geoghegan tried to use that information in a threatening phone call placed at 6:53 p.m. Wednesday night.

"I'm your uncle, and I'll be there tomorrow," LeMond said a then-anonymous man told him, and continued with references to vocabulary best known to pedophiles. LeMond later traced the number using a paid Internet search.

With his reputation in tatters and a two year ban, Landis has recently attempted to revive his career with a few middling results for Rock Racing; a team that cultivated a "bad boy" image through its liberal employment of ex-dopers and tainted names. In 2010, Rock Racing was not issued a professional license and was relegated to amateur status. The downgrade caused the team's big names to seek their fortunes elsewhere and Landis has failed to get picked up by a new team.

This is why I view the latest allegations with a little caution. It seems that Landis is in desperate need of publicity and more importantly-- income. Accusing some of the most decorated figures in the sport of doping is a very great way to generate a new stream of revenue. Seeing as we are now in the middle of cycling season and in the lead up to the Tour de France, these new revelations are guaranteed to keep Floyd Landis' name in the headlines a little bit longer. Not only does his sudden need to come clean feel oddly timed, but his allegations and insinuations that Mellow Johnny himself taught Landis how to dope seems a little extravagant. Again, Landis seems to be mislaying blame from himself onto others. In his admission he is again attempting to avoid taking responsibility by painting himself as a victim of a corrupt system and corrupt leadership.

I don't know if Armstrong or others doped. I know they have yet to test positive and I know they are routinely tested and I know the French have prayed for a positive result for nearly a decade. I also know that Floyd Landis holds zero credibility at this point and these allegations, whether true or not, make him appear to be a troubled and vindictive individual who was denied the full glory of the podium by doping and so he hopes to drag everyone else down with him. If Floyd can not shine... then nobody else shall either.

It just sounds like a sad way to win.

Updates:

Link to one of the actual letters: here

New York Times Article: here

VeloNews Ongoing Coverage: here

UCI Denies Allegations: here

Armstrong Responds: here

Quote From NYT:

I think Landis is in a very sad situation and I feel sorry for the guy because I don’t accept anything he says as true,” McQuaid said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “This is a guy who has been condemned in court, who has stood up in court and stated that he never saw any doping in cycling. He’s written a book saying he won the Tour de France clean. Where does that leave his credibility? He has an agenda and is obviously out to seek revenge.”

5/22--Meishan Township Climb--梅山鄉

Bike route 497396 - powered by Bikemap

Upward and Onward?

Seeing as the weather up in northern Taiwan is going to be a mess and I still need to get some climbing into my legs, it appears this weekend will be southward bound. If everything works out I hope we can do this hilly route without getting rained on and salvage a weekend of riding. It isn't the rain that worries me as much as descending off those hills on slick roads.

If anyone is interested or would like to meet near Douliu, let me know. We have limited vehicle space and may not be able to accommodate everyone. This should be a good warm-up for June if we can make it work.

NY Times on Crashing

The New York Times has an interesting piece today about that little fear we all have in the backs of our minds... the fear of crashing.

I have never had a... you know... c-r-a-s-h, but the fear of my last moments in the grill of a cement truck is ever present. It is a healthy fear that keeps us alive. We pay attention more and our brains often react to danger before we realize what we've seen.

I know many cyclists who have a heightened sense of perception when riding in traffic. Years of living in Taiwan makes this "Spidey Sense" extra sensitive. I don't know how many times I have visited the U.S. and flinched at cars approaching a controlled stop. You learn to anticipate what drivers will do (and they usually do the stupidest thing at the stupidest time). The only way to keep fear in check is through the confidence of practice. When we know what a crisp corner should feel like because we've done it enough times.

Still, the close calls always keep you alert.

The Perfect Climbing Bike

The Perfect Climbing Bike:

For the coming weeks I hope to do more climbing to prepare for the June ride across the Central Cross Island Highway. As I get back into climbing shape after 6 weeks in the flats, I can feel I am not as sharp as I had been before. Often, the cyclist’s first reaction is to blame the bike. The bike is too heavy, flexy, the wrong gearing, the wrong geometry.

So it got me thinking… if I were to start over and build up a bike specifically for climbing, what would I look for. Taiwan has a lot of steep grades and good climbing characteristics are definitely a plus in a bike.

First, the bike should fit really well. When riding a bike in general and especially in climbs, the body is asked to undergo some pretty hard stresses. An ill-fit bike on a climb can cause minor fitting issues to become major very quickly. The last thing anyone needs on a sustained day of climbing is your body screaming at you for having a poor center of gravity or bars that are too narrow.

Second, is stiffness in the bottom bracket and chainstays. Frame stiffness helps transfer power into motion. Though, there will be some flex, so the energy is not necessarily lost on a rigid framed bike, but this can be limited by the proper design.

A climbing bike should be as small and compact as the rider can ride. This allows a compact bike that can be pulled up hills and compensate for a forward position and out of the saddle time. A shorter TT with a longer stem can be a help on the descent.

For lighter riders a lighter bike might make a little bit of difference, but for most people, and especially larger riders, a .lb off the bike is not going to be seen in the climbing. Some people suggest relaxed geometry for quicker standing climbs, but it could be a liability later on.

The bars, stem, fork and crank arms should be strong and stiff to best handle the stress from the amount of snap and upper body work that goes into a climb. A lot of the climbing technique involves the upper body and it is easy to torque on the interface components.

A stiff set of wheels is a plus to not bounce or flex with each pedal stroke.

Lastly is gearing. For a road bike a wider range of gears at the top end would be ideal to the tight range of gears typically used in the flats. The last time I rode Taroko there was a poor guy on his first new road bike. The guys at Giant set him up for climbing on a standard 53/39 crank and an 11-23 tooth cassette in the back. Ouch! Even a lot of pros prefer the compact crankset (50/34-11-26 or 12-27). There is nothing wrong with being geared for climbing to pedal more efficiently. I don’t know how far he made it, but if he keeps it up he should have legs the size of tree trunks.

The Perfect Descending Bike:

So I got done thinking about what a fantastic climbing bike should look like… and then started thinking about the other side of the equation…what a great the descending bike would look like.

Some of what I outlined above should be factored in. A smaller bike with shorter wheelbase and stays should handle quicker in taking the corners. The rider can more easily tuck into the bike and reduce drag. An aero frame doesn’t help a lick going up, but going down it may lend an advantage. A deeper dish rim might be helpful too. A higher degree HT angle will allow for better tracking.

The Engine:

But really, the issue of a climbing bike isn’t as influenced by the bike as it is determined by the engine. Proper training, conditioning and experience will get a rider up a hill much faster than creating the perfect climbing bike.

When climbing it is good to ride with the arms open a little bit and stretched out enough to open up the lungs and diaphragm. Relax the entire upper body. We need to get the oxygen into the bloodstream and breathing kinda helps. Slower deep breaths with plenty of air helps supply the muscles with enough oxygen.

To conserve energy, the cadence should be between 75-95 rpm. Some people go faster, but you don’t want to waste energy mashing up a hill and blowing out your big muscles before you summit.

When I was a kid I would just stand and pedal to get up a tough hill. I was four feet tall and weighed nothing. Now I like to stay seated for most of the climb. A seated climb distributes the workload between the muscles better and brings the powerful glutes into play. Standing climbs can be great for short periods to rest overworked muscles, but it is far less efficient. When I find my legs tiring I point my toes up to bring my hamstrings into play.

To really become a skilled climber, you need to get out and climb. Interval training is a great way to quickly increase your climbing chops. Just go out and find a steeper hill you can ride up in 15-45 sec. then hit it as hard as you can. Then roll down and rest for 30 sec. and then do it again and again and again and again until you feel like you want to puke. It is brutal, but it works wonders.

If that doesn’t sound like a good time, then keep working hills into your rides and try to fight through them until they become easier.

The other thing to consider is using the dinner table to lighten the bike. More weight can be shaved from a bike at the dinner table than anywhere else. A little self-control and diet consciousness can really take a lot of weight off the bike. Every extra pound of fat you have on your body is one extra pound you are lugging up a hill. Those 20 extra lbs. should be imagined as cans of coke. It is like carrying a bag filled with 20 cans of coke up a hill. But spending $$$$ on a lighter bike is so much quicker and easier than losing the weight.

Lastly, if you have the money or you have somebody buying your equipment for you then the idea of a pure climbing bike could be really appealing. For most of us, we don't just climb and don't just descend. We do a variety of riding. The perfect climbing bike might not be what you want for your next century, criterioum, tour of India or Gran Fondo. A balance of characteristics is often a good thing.

The Great Northern Cross Island Tour: Join Us May 22-23

*CANCELLED!* Sorry folks! Due to weather concerns and other issues, we will have to postpone this event.

I have been conspicuously absent this weekend and sadly I couldn't do any riding. I was judging speeches (yuck!) and attending my sister-in-law's wedding... therefore I earned myself a full weekend of cycling this coming week.

May 22-23 we are planning a great social ride over the Northern Cross Island Highway. This is a fantastic trip for cyclists of all levels and abilities. For these social rides it is not about suffering or competition, but rather about spending time with good people. It is often like sharing a conversation over a beer with friends, but instead of a beer it is over a bike. I am really looking forward to seeing and riding with some great people and I am looking forward to meeting some new ones. I hope to see you all there. There is room for everyone.

* Here is a report Michael T. has posted from a previous trip. Northern Cross

Michael T. has passed along a little info on the trip for anyone interested:

1. Map of the route here.

2. Schedule
Day 1 we start at the Yongning Metro station at 7. On Saturdays certain metro stops accept bikes, please check on Friday where you can put yours on in Taipei. We'll end up in Baling at around 3, approximately 70 kilometers from Yongning. The pace will be leisurely, with stops for lunch and afternoon coffee and slushies. Plenty of time for photos, conversation, or just plain gawking. The ride consists of climbing to 400 m, dropping 200 m, then a long climb of 400 m to Baling at 600m. Dinner and sleeping at the Youth Hostel there, which has washers and dryers and room inside for the bikes. If not there, the hostel across the street.

Day 2 starts in Baling at 7 or so, depending. There is NO breakfast on this day, so breakfast must be purchased the night before in Baling. Ditto for water. If we leave much earlier, like at 5:30, we can make the $300 buffet breakfast at Mingchih Forest Park. Frankly I don't see the need. We should arrive in I-lan around/a little after lunch, plenty of small eateries there. Those of you returning to Taipei for work on monday can take train or bus from I-lan town. A small group of us will push on to Jiaoxi where we will spa, eat ice, and graze our way through the eateries of that tourist town, sleeping over to ride on Monday.

Day 3 (Optional) on Monday we take a leisurely ride up the flat, truck-choked but lovely northeast coast back to Keelung or Taipei. You more sturdy types can take the mountain roads like 9 back to Taipei.

LOGISTICS:
Non-Taipei people: I will be staying in Taipei on Friday night so I can pick up your bikes if you ship them there to me, or perhaps carry them up to Taipei in my van on Wednesday. Contact me (or through Drew from Taiwan in Cycles) privately about that.

REMINDERS:
Weather up in the mountains this time of year is as changeable as an incumbent facing electoral anger. Be sure to bring a light waterproof jacket/gear and front and rear lights in case we find ourselves riding in the dark. Long riding pants and long-sleeve riding shirts might also be a good idea. Light energy snacks are also good as there is not much food on Day 2 until we reach the outskirts of I-lan.

Michael

PS: M O'C, let people know in your organization if you like. Would
love to have you and/or compatriots along.

Another Night Loop

I finally had a chance to do my evening ride again after over a month of century rides, recovery and other events that life likes to put in the way of solid, regular training.

I was a little reticent of doing this ride after not doing it for so long. Aside from last weekend, I have hardly climbed any hills over the past six weeks. Most of my training has been paced for distance and endurance over long hours in the saddle as opposed to sprints and high-speed pack riding. I was down with nasal allergies all week and tonight my stomach was queasy. I have a bunch of work that has been stacking up and a million other excuses that I could have used to give it another few days.

I am glad I went. The speed and time was not bad considering the bad traffic hoodoo I was feeling on the road. The traffic was heavy for after 8:30pm and I had a few more close calls than I am used to. You know the kind like when you are cruising down a hill with a car on your left as a "shield car" to protect you from cars that might want to make a left in front of you and then some asshole pulls out in front of you but doesn't accelerate and when you try to avoid them a scooter driving the wrong way down the street comes right at you... you know those days... just bad traffic hoodoo. You can just feel the vibe on the roads and proceed with a bit more caution. There were also slow cars preventing me from opening up on Hsi Tun Rd. near Feng Chia University. Still, when I hit Wen Hsin Rd. I was able to push up the speed between lights. The best part was that I felt like I still had plenty left in the tank and my calves didn't threaten to cramp up. The new cleat position shifted some of the work to my glutes, hips and quads-- away from my calves. I had plenty at the end with traffic the only thing holding me back from maxing out.

Feeling... not bad! I hate this ride as much as I love it.

Distance: 21.4 km.

Average Speed: 28.3kph

Maximum Speed: 62.9kph

Time: 45.16 min.

Conditions: Meadium-Heavy Traffic

Cycling, Community and Cancer

Sometimes being a cyclist is all you need to imagine a community beyond your own direct experience. With the advent of the internet this has become easier and more dynamic. I have met many people through cycling and there are others I have never met, but as a cyclist I feel a shared sense of community. That is one of the greatest things about this sport.

Aside from this blog as an outlet I participate in some other online communities and one of these communities is full of cyclists.

In November, 2008, one of the community members disclosed that his infant son had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and we received regular updates detailing the little boy's progress and setbacks. It seemed like just as things were looking better an infection would set in and push the boy to the brink. It was also very uplifting to hear when the little boy had fought back with all his strength to eat or play with a toy.

As a community of cyclists, strangers from around the web used their available resources to raise money and awareness to help this family and others like them who are locked in the battle with cancer. Cyclists from all over donated spare parts and time to build a complete bicycle for a raffle with all donations going to the family. Two more bikes were in the works. It was wonderful to see the community rally around this family. It just always reminded me what stands behind those little nods on the road when you pass another person on a bike.

I admit at times the updates were too many and there were times I didn't want to follow this seemingly endless story. Things were looking much better a few weeks ago and after nearly losing the fight the news all seemed positive. I would just scan the post titles waiting for the announcement that the little boy was going home.

I was shocked today when his father posted a message to inform the community of the death of his son, and I actually fought back tears for people I have never met or even corresponded with directly. I could simply empathize with their fight and their deep loss.

Cancer is a terrible disease that does not discriminate by age, race or gender. I hope everyone can make a little effort to support the fight against cancer. It is especially hard to see a little boy lose the fight.

My deepest condolences.

Collin Marsh

April 23, 2008--May 12, 2010