Floyd Landis
American road racing cyclist
- Entries
- 11
- On the record
- 6
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Apr 19, 2018
The record
Floyd Landis grew up in a Mennonite family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, raced mountain bikes before switching to the road in 1999, and rode for the U.S. Postal Service team in support of Lance Armstrong before moving to Phonak. In 2006, his first season as Phonak's leader, he won the Tour of California, Paris-Nice and the Tour de Georgia, and then the Tour de France, a title he lost after a sample taken on July 20, 2006 tested positive.
His case went through two arbitrations. In September 2007 an American Arbitration Association panel dismissed the charge based on his testosterone ratio but found exogenous testosterone through carbon isotope analysis, disqualified his 2006 Tour results and banned him from January 30, 2007 to January 29, 2009. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed his appeal in June 2008. In May 2010 he admitted doping for most of his career while still disputing the 2006 test.
A month later, on June 10, 2010, he filed a sealed False Claims Act suit against Armstrong and the team's owners over the Postal Service sponsorship. The Justice Department joined it in 2013, and Armstrong settled for $5 million in April 2018, with $1.1 million going to Landis and $1.65 million toward his legal costs. Separately, AP reported in 2012, citing ESPN, that he was set to agree to repay donors to his defense fund under a deal with federal prosecutors.
Roles and honours on the record
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
Phonak says Landis tested positive for unusual testosterone level after stage 17; Landis denies cheating. Biggest punishments in sport: Armstrong's stripped titles lead
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 2006-08-05 Reported His B sample confirmed synthetic testosterone, and Phonak dismissed him under its internal code of ethics. Landis denied taking any banned substance and vowed to clear his name. Fox News report
- 2007-09-20 Ruled An American Arbitration Association panel in USADA v. Landis dismissed the elevated testosterone-ratio charge but found exogenous testosterone established by carbon isotope analysis. It disqualified his 2006 Tour de France results and imposed two years' ineligibility from January 30, 2007 to January 29, 2009. AAA panel award, USADA v. Landis, Case No. 30 190 00847 06
- 2008-06 Ruled The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Landis's appeal and upheld the two-year suspension. USADA, arbitration decisions list (CAS 2007/A/1394)
- 2010-05-20 Admitted Landis admitted using performance-enhancing drugs for most of his career, including at the 2006 Tour, while still disputing that year's positive test, and accused Armstrong and others. Armstrong said he had nothing to hide and called it Landis's word against theirs. ESPN report
- 2010-06-10 Filed Landis filed a qui tam suit under the False Claims Act, under seal, against Armstrong, team director Johan Bruyneel, Tailwind Sports and others over the Postal Service sponsorship. U.S. District Court for D.C., memorandum opinion, No. 1:10-cv-00976 (Feb. 13, 2017)
- 2012-08-24 Reported AP reported that Landis was due before a federal judge for a deferred-prosecution hearing and, citing what he told ESPN, that he would agree to repay donors to his Floyd Fairness Fund, which raised more than $1 million, while prosecutors would not pursue charges. CBS News / AP report
- 2013-02-22 Reported The Justice Department joined Landis's suit, alleging Armstrong defrauded the government by doping while on the Postal Service team. Armstrong's lawyer said the Postal Service's own studies showed the sponsorship benefited it. UPI report
- 2014-06-19 Ruled Judge Robert L. Wilkins granted in part and denied in part the defendants' motions to dismiss, dismissing with prejudice Landis's False Claims Act claims arising before June 10, 2004. U.S. District Court for D.C., memorandum opinion, No. 1:10-cv-00976
- 2017-02-13 Ruled Judge Christopher R. Cooper granted the government partial summary judgment and denied in part Armstrong's motion for summary judgment. The opinion records that the Postal Service paid the team's owner just over $32 million from 2000 to 2004. U.S. District Court for D.C., memorandum opinion, No. 1:10-cv-00976
- 2018-04-19 Reported Armstrong agreed to pay $5 million to settle the case, of which Landis receives $1.1 million, plus $1.65 million toward Landis's legal costs. Landis said it had been a difficult ordeal but the right thing to do. UPI report
Documents
- AAA panel award, USADA v. Floyd Landis (Sept. 20, 2007)
- CAS award, Floyd Landis v. USADA, CAS 2007/A/1394 (scanned, hosted by USADA)
- Memorandum opinion on motions to dismiss, U.S. ex rel. Landis v. Tailwind Sports Corp. (D.D.C., June 19, 2014)
- Memorandum opinion on summary judgment, U.S. ex rel. Landis v. Tailwind Sports Corp. (D.D.C., Feb. 13, 2017)
- USADA statement on Landis's reported admissions (May 20, 2010)