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Landis to Return to Cycling
January 22, 2009
Link http://www.nbcchicago.com/sports/more/Landis-to-Return-to-Cycling.html
Floyd Landis is coming back to cycling, and says his sport will be better for
it.
Landis' feel-good story came to halt when he was stripped of his 2006 Tour de
France victory following a doping scandal and protracted fight in courts around
the world. He said Thursday he feels "like a kid again" knowing that his
two-year ban from cycling will end next week.
"In my mind, it's already behind me," Landis said in an interview with The
Associated Press. "I'm not dwelling on that at all."
Landis was barred for using synthetic testosterone in the latter stages of
cycling's showcase race three years ago. He contends the testing system is
flawed, but he has no means left to fight other than to resume racing.
The Murrieta, CA resident trained in San Diego and is returning to the county in
his return to the sport.
He will ride for the OUCH cycling team and debut at the Tour of California next
month, starting what he plans to be at least two years with OUCH, which opens
its training camp Friday.
"This isn't some kind of statement to shut down the critics or any kind of
changing-the-world project of mine," Landis said. "This is me doing what I've
trained myself to do for the last 15 years, and I hope that the people that
follow bike racing get a better show than what they've had the last couple
years."
His return comes on the heels of seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong
resuming his own racing career. Armstrong is currently in Australia at the Tour
Down Under, his first competitive race in three years. They'll be linked at the
Tour of California, which Armstrong is planning to make his next race -- and
cable channel Versus said Thursday it will show all nine days of that event..
...Landis says he feels as good as ever, in large part because his right hip
is now pain-free. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery two years ago, relieving
the bone-on-bone pain that plagued him for years, even during that 2006 Tour.
OUCH is sponsored by Dr. Brent Kay, a devout cycling enthusiast from California
who has worked on Landis' hip for many years and is a close friend of the rider.
He said when the opportunity came to sign Landis, he didn't hesitate for one
second...
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