Hamilton Pool Road

I counted about 25 of us who showed up to ride today in Austin with Floyd Landis, Tour de France Champion. That covers his plane fare, I guess. The chance to ride around my (recent) town, over streets that were once part of my route repertoire, with the TdF champ -- and to banter with him -- was priceless. "The selection will occur on the climb to Scenic Drive" I mentioned. "Are you going to attack?" he asked. Now I would have, you know, but I encountered mechanical trouble; my computer broke, and I was unable to attack, or even really to follow on the subsequent climb on Balcones.

Floyd made a point of dropping back through the "peloton" and chatting with each of us for a bit. Several times. And after a while it wasn't such a novelty -- he was just one of the group.

I showed up wearing my bootleg black "Free Floyd" T-shirt. Got it from some creative entrepreneur on the Web, just days after they made the testosterone allegations against Floyd public. I was an early doubter of the science behind those allegations.

During the ride there was this weird pause -- pictured above -- Floyd's the one looking at the camera. I thought the pause was to let stragglers catch up, but they caught up within a minute or two. Turns out the Bicycle Sport Shop boys were trying to arrange for Lance to come join us. We were near his new house, and we rode ceremonially past it a few minutes later. At first the guy on the phone indicated Lance was going to meet us; but after about 15 minutes it didn't happen and we proceeded.

I say weird because, hey, we are riding with the Tour de France Champion, you know. The experience wasn't going to get better by throwing in the ex TdFC. I mean, if he wants to ride along, sure. But no need to ride nearby his house and wait to see if he'll come. There was the danger of putting Floyd in the shadow of the local hero. I thought it was weird.

But let me emphasize what you always read: Floyd's "unassuming"; I can attest first hand. If the local boys thought the experience would be improved by adding Lance, so be it.

Here are some random snippets from exchanges I had with Floyd:

• He didn't know what happened in Paris-Roubaix this morning. I described O'Grady's 25 km break to him.


• He has done P-R a couple of times and doesn't want to do it again.


• Later, I tried to talk him into it anyway. I pointed out that 40 year olds have won P-R and that if he does have to take two years off, well then.


• He doesn't watch cycling.tv, because it sucks not being on cycling.tv. Not a quote.


• He's never heard of Podium Cafe, and I mentioned it as a web forum with maybe a more positive attitude than Daily Peloton Forums where a lot of wiki defense has gone on. However: I would guess, Floyd really isn't much interested in bike racing fandom (yet :) ), and the DPF makes sense in defending his USADA case. I mean Floyd's not going to get on a forum and start commenting on a race. Not a quote.


• He hates having to talk about and deal with the accusations.

I also had a chance to chat with Dr. Arnie Baker, Floyd's riding buddy and medical point man in arguing his case. Dr. Baker appears to be In Shape, with I'm guessing 1% body fat. He said, most people don't get that the measurements are gray, not black and white. I suggested their team should look into who owns the patents on the test procedures that are used in the T/E and CIR tests; could any scientists in this investigation having conflicting interests? Is anyone involved receiving a royalty on use of the test? He said, Hmmm.

Not one pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist recognized Floyd Landis, Tour de France Champion; at least none made it known to us that they did.

Circumstances have made it so that the Tour de France Champion has been brought low. Instead of racing this spring in California, Georgia, Flanders , France, and Spain, he has to go around this country, giving it up to audiences of 25, and be a politician instead of a bike racer. He's asking us to believe him and back him. I guess there could be people who would look you in the eye, ask you for money to defend themselves, yet know themselves, that they are guilty. Do you think Floyd is one of them? I sure don't. And I think you have to help anyone falsely accused. Come on out tomorrow, April 16, to the Town Hall meeting at the Alamo Drafthouse on S. Lamar, meet Floyd, and hear Dr. Baker's argument.