Floyd Landis has finally played his last card in his appeal process and lost today when the CAS struck down his appeal. In what has been a two year struggle to clear himself of any doping charges, Landis has been dealt a final blow and will also have to pay a $100,000 fine to WADA to help cover court costs.
Perhaps now Floyd can do the right thing if not for himself, than at least for our sport; confess. If he were to look for examples of those that have confessed and came out on the other side of the scandal unscathed he need to look no further than David Millar. Millar was caught using EPO, confessed, and served his two year suspension. Since then has won both the Road and TT National Championships for Britain, as well as becoming part owner of the Garmin-Chipotle Cycling Team . It is time for Floyd to come clean, put the past behind him and sit out the remaining few months of his suspension. By January 2009 he will be cleared to ride again, and then he can bring back some swagger to the peloton. We may never see a ride like we did that July day back in 2006, where he launched a 130km breakaway, but at least he would be riding clean. Plus, the way ASO has been running Le Tour these last few years, I am sure he will never be invited again.
As for me I am glad to see that everything is over for his ridiculous case. It is time for our sport to close that chapter of its life, and look ahead to better days of clean racing. Don't get me wrong I would love for someone to power away from the field and pull out a surprise victory, I just want them to do it based on the same principals that my team and I base our racing on; hard work, discipline and sacrifice.
