Floyd Landis is back in the headlines with his claims that cycling coach Pepe Martí sold him doping products, saying “Pepe Martí was my dealer“. A big headline but it’s actually old news.
The accusations reheat two stories, first the allegations of doping with the US Postal/Discovery cycling team but also that Alberto Contador could be linked to doping.
In April 2010 Landis wrote a long email to USA Cycling Chief Executive Steve Johnson, claiming Martí sold him growth hormone and this was subsequently publicised around the world. It went beyond the cycling world, financial news website Bloomberg ran with the story. Note Martí was only one of many named by Landis. But again, this isn’t new. It’s just that Landis has been on German TV and they’ve repeated the allegations.
But if little has changed, perhaps we should be asking why? Did anyone follow up on Landis’s accusations or was Landis asked for an apology or even sued by those he named?
- There’s one small change: the attitude towards Pete Martí. Flashback to January 2010 and Martí is named as part of Contador’s special entourage, with preferred riders and mechanics. Last summer I wrote about Martí too. Since then Contador joined Saxo Bank, taking several preferred riders and even bringing his mechanic. Indeed it was said that he was taking his coach… only it seems Martí’s been dropped. After praising him before Contador’s spokesman Jacinto Vidarte has said he’s not linked any more.
Similarly, I have not seen any follow up on Mr Hamilton’s interview. Particularly, questions that CBS did not ask, but which are rather relevant for current pro cycling, i.e. doping culture in CSC and Phonak. I believe these questions should be answered as they relate to both Mr Contador (being now part of ex CSC) and Mr Evans (being part of ex Phonak).
Old story but still valid. Was this man selling doping products? Have the Spanish police investigated?
I just read your post from last year on Marti, it seems that cycling could eliminate such suspicion if more details were given to the public during their training. who knows…
Landis emailed Johnson because it’s a professional courtesy. USAC’s Steve Johnson is Weisel’s errand boy. Weisel and the Stapletons ran the doped Tailwind Sports, and CSE organizations responsible for the US Postal team in the g0-go 90’s.
Weisel and the Stapletons still run USAC. Just like the UCI’s practices the only doping enforcement going on is processing the minor dopers.
i like like your blog and i agree in a lot of stuff, not all. But c’mon man give the doping s**t a break. there should be more interesting things to write about than this redundant BS.
lobo-feroz: thanks but note I’m pointing out that the story isn’t new.
…and whether we like it or not, doping “news” is a massively important aspect of our sport.
I have to confess to finding the doping issues quite interesting to follow too.
The statement that Contador’s camp issued is worded very carefully and reads stiffly. It doesn’t seem to be a vigorous denial, & given the previous & well-documented connections, I guess they had to pick their words with care. I am NOT calling Landis a liar, not at all. I just begin to feel that he will keep on issuing and reissuing these repackaged accusations for absolutely frickin’ ever, so long as someone will listen and publish them. And he does seem to do this whenever he feels the spotlight has moved away from him and his “story”. After years of relentless and angry denial, he has moved into a mode of relentless and angry accusation. Whatever his agenda was in the beginning, it is no longer an altruistic desire to clean up cycling. If it ever was.
Goodness, there is nothing old about doping. It’s as fresh as a warm pint of blood.