Floyd Landis ignored pleas from his sponsor to avoid a public fight with Lance Armstrong, according to e-mails the seven-time Tour de France champion released in trying to prove the disgraced cyclist has “zero credibility.”
Armstrong released the messages Friday in a second day of attacks on Landis, who accused cycling’s biggest star of doping, teaching other riders to cheat and paying off a top cycling official after allegedly testing positive in 2002.
“Even a superficial review reveals a troubling, angry and misplaced effort at retribution by Landis for his perceived slights,” said a statement posted on Armstrong’s RadioShack team website. “While these types of repeated, tired and baseless accusations against Lance have been proven false in the past, it is quite regrettable, but telling, that so many in cycling are now attacked.”
Perhaps the most telling exchange was a long e-mail from Landis’ longtime sponser Dr. Brent Kay, a cycling enthusiast who asked Landis to call a truce with Armstrong and suggested he ride on the star’s team.
“If either side does not like this idea just throw this in the trash and be done with it, have the press conference and get it over with. But, once again, I’m asking you to do this for me and my family so we can move on with our lives and leave all the anger, hatred and bitterness behind,” Kay wrote in an April 28 e-mail to Landis that he forwarded to Armstrong.
Footnotes.
Peter Sagan won the brutal mountain sixth stage, and Michael Rogers retained the overall lead in the Tour of California.
• Manuel Belletti gave Italy a second straight stage victory in the Giro d’Italia, winning the 13th leg. Richie Porte of Australia retained the overall lead.
• The International Cycling Union suspended Italian cyclist Alessandro Colo and France’s Mickael Larpe for doping.
