Floyd Landis: The cycling whistleblower who brought down Lance Armstrong

For better or for worse, Floyd Landis has a unique place in cycling history. His story involves rising to the pinnacle of his sport, only to be knocked off the pedestal and take others down with him. We’ll take a closer look at the ups and downs of his story, and what he’s been up to more recently.

Floyd Landis’ dogged determination was captured by several outlets on his way to winning the 2006 Tour De France. The New York Times wrote that his gritted teeth eventually gave way to a smile when it became certain he would win the coveted race.

EuroSport’s website took a deeper dive into the laser focus Landis had during that race. “There was no celebration, only anger, and contempt. He was all swagger and sneer; he looked as though he had just emerged from a bar brawl, and he wasn’t done fighting. It wasn’t a moment of jubilation; it was a moment of defiance, a giant curse to anyone who ever doubted him.”

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The breakthrough Tour de France victory for Landis proved to be the beginning of the end of his career and his reputation. His urine tests came back positive, with unusually high levels of testosterone present. As a result, Landis was stripped of his victory, and the title was given to the second place finisher, Oscar Pereiro.

For years, Floyd Landis would tell the public that the tests were incorrect, and that he did not use performance enhancing drugs before or during the 2006 Tour de France. However, that would all change years later, as Landis would admit he did partake in doping, and would open up Pandora’s box for many others in his profession.

As detailed by The Atlantic, Floyd Landis would go on to send an email in 2010 to the CEO of USA Cycling, specifying exactly which performance enhancing drugs he took, and how they were administered. In the process, Landis also intentionally named names of other prominent U.S. cyclists who he alleged were also using doping. Lance Armstrong was one of the implicated cyclists.

Landis’ revelation effectively brought Armstrong’s reputation down. Nike dropped Armstrong as an endorser, and The Atlantic estimated he lost $75 million in one day as seven sponsors wanted nothing to do with him. The International Cycling Union stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France victories after the U.S. Doping Administration confirmed Landis’ account.

Landis told ESPN that he wanted to bring truth to power because he was emotionally depressed. “I want to clear my conscience. I don’t want to be part of the problem anymore.”

However, Landis felt like he did what he needed to do to remain competitive in the sport. He told ESPN, “I did what I did because that’s what we (cyclists) did and it was a choice I had to make after 10 years or 12 years of hard work to get there.”

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Later in the decade, Landis filed a civil complaint against Armstrong, who went on defense to say that Landis’ claims were lies. USA Today reported in 2018 that Armstrong was ordered to pay $1.1 million to Landis as part of a settlement, and pay him another $1.65 million to cover Landis’ legal expenses.

However, Landis also came out on the short end of a legal matter in 2012 that cost him a significant sum of money. He was forced to pay over $478,000 to defrauded individuals that donated to a fund that was established under the pretense that he never took performance enhanced drugs. When he admitted to doing so, he had to give back the money from that fundraising effort.

Before admitting to using performance enhancing drugs, Landis allegedly tried to hack into the computer system of the Chatenay-Malabry lab in France back in 2006, which confirmed the increased testosterone levels in his urine sample. A French court ultimately ruled him not guilty of the hack, although the story added another layer of embarrassment to his name.

The CBC reported that Floyd Landis used the profits of the money he received in the Lance Armstrong settlement to create a new cycling team in Canada in 2019. Landis thought that he could have a fresh start north of the border since he was disgraced in the U.S. However, the team disbanded after less than a year since it could not find a sponsor.

Interestingly enough, Landis’ name has continued to be linked with drugs. According to Nutra Ingredients USA’s website, he started a CBD-based business in Colorado in 2016. In 2023, he voiced his concerns over the lack of clarity with regards to its federal classification. “Trying to figure out whether we can call it a dietary supplement or food or anything like that. We just need some guidance on what category we’re in so we can sleep at night.”

Landis told Food Navigator’s website, “For me it’s been beneficial for anxiety and to some extent pain as well.”

Landis’ “Floyd’s of Leadville” dispensary business is targeted at athletes who are looking to use CBD to recover from soreness or injury. The Aspen Times reported that Landis himself would take opioid-based painkillers during his cycling career before he pivoted to CBD later in life.

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