Official Response To Landis Comments
I am shocked at the allegations from Floyd Landis. They are completely untrue. A few years ago, I cycled the Vuelta a Espana race and trained two days prior to the Vuelta with him — one 6 hour ride and one two hour ride. I did not share or use any banned substances such as EPO when I was riding with him and am dismayed at his allegations. Landis is either lying or has mistaken me with another rider.
I have nothing to hide. I compete as a clean athlete.
I am proud to be an advocate for change in this sport and am proud to be an athlete who competes without the use of any banned substance. I have been a member of international cycling teams that have been staunch supporters of anti-doping and have required additional stringent testing of their athletes.
If there are any reviews of this situation, I am happy to participate in any and all of them.
For reference, a 2007 blog entry regarding a previous doping scandal. http://velonews.competitor.com/2007/07/rider-diaries/michael-barrys-diary-the-very-bad-news_12887
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26 Responses to “Official Response To Landis Comments”
Good on you Michael! Don’t sit idle and let your good name be impugned and sullied by Floyd’s claims and craziness.
Hi Michael,
As one of many people who’ll testify to the love you have for the sport, and the dedication you have shown to it, I’ll be one of the first to say that I don’t believe the allegations. At all. Not for a second. I would have laughed when I saw Floyd’s remarks yesterday if it wasn’t for the fact that – as laughable as they are – I can guess at the distress that those comments will cause you.
In my best British-Dutch accent: “Stiff upper lip, old boy.”
rrb
I think you have allot of people behind you on this one Michael. Good luck for the rest of the Giro and lets see some more performances like stage 9. Awesome riding!!!
Floyd is a liar and a cheater.
We believe you and all of the other people that he tried to throw under the bus. Don’t let it get you down.
Landis bringing up your name shows how bizzare his claims are–we are all behind you 110% Michael and know you do cycling proud by riding clean and classy–keep up the good work and enjoy the Giro!
It is a sad story. I hope Floyd’s is relieved, and that is good for him. But I do not want Floyd as my advocate for a cleaner sport. A David Miller is a better example of accountability, responsibility and follow through. A lot of doors closed on DM initially, and some still are, but here is an example of how I would want my son to respond. Sadly, I am passing on Floyd.
Hey Mike, Keep your head up, we all know your position on riding clean.
Landis is trying to drag everyone down with him no matter whose reputation he hurts in the process. It very sad to see this happen.
Great ride in the Giro and the book is an awesome read.
Peter
Michael, having read two of your books I believe your passion & respect for the sport of cycling shine through. The accusation doesn’t ring true to me and I’m sure, given a few weeks, it will have faded into history. Keep focused on “le métier” and the rest of us will continue to enjoy watching you race clean. With best wishes for your upcoming races.
You are clean, no doubt about it.
I think if there were any doubts about Landis’s credibility, the fact that he has implicated you of all people — someone so respected in the peloton and beyond, someone with such a strong reputation as an honest athlete and person — settles it. I’m sorry for all the difficulties these baseless accusations will cause you. We’re all behind you.
Michael,
After our conversation during lunch in Girona about doping similarities between cycling and horse racing I was impressed with your comments and I am convinced you are and have been a clean rider. You are an asset to cycling; the definition of Professional.
Chuck
“faire le metier”. Looks like Floyd really went out of his way to finger you. Why would he do this? Is he lying about the others? Are you going to sue him? If this is a complete fabrication you should be pursuing legal channels to get him to retract his statements. I’m there are several lawyers in T.O. willing to help pro bono. Why hasn’t Matty White offered statement in your defence?
Hold your chin up Michael you have nothing to be ashamed of anyone who has followed your career knows your stance on clean cycling. Don’t let the bastards get you down.
a.
P.S. Great work on stage 11 looking after your captain in the break so he could get some time back on the leaders. That was unselfish yeoman’s work.
I’m very upset by what Floyd Landis has said about you, Michael. Its completely unfair. You especially are one rider that I hold to the highest standards and always will. I cannot believe for a second what he says is true- you are so much better, smarter, and have stronger ethics than to use banned substances. You receive an unwritten deep respect from many riders/racers I know and that will not change, because we know that what he says about you is baseless. This must be a difficult time for you, but believe that this will blow over, your racing will be stronger than ever, and just keep doing what you are doing. Don’t let Floyd’s darkness in your head – you are a great racer and his actions will not change that!
Keep up the great writing, and great racing
As one of my closest friends, former roommate, and teammate, I know you are as clean as the proverbial whistle! Keep up the fantastic work and know we all support you. Talk soon, hombre!
Mike, nous savons tous que tu es un coureur propre et honnete et avec une grande ethique preofessionnelle. Ignores ces mensonges.
PH
MB, don’t sweat people like Floyd, I think we are all seeing his calibre right now, whereas you do your talking where it counts, out there on the road. You have a lot of fans around the world, particularly here in Australia and we are right behind you.
I think I speak for everyone when I say that Landis is full of BS. You’re one of the best cyclists I know, on and off the bike. And I dont believe Landis for a second. Keep up the great work, and I hope you have a season full of great results ahead of you
Great work in the Giro Michael …hope your moral stays high…think Floyd is on the “dark side of the moon”….PS the donut are all behind you…on the big ring….ciao Dougie
sorry Michael that should be morale Dougie
Michael you are a rider that almost everyone who follows cycling would have down as a clean rider, including myself. I don’t value anything that Landis has to say, given that he has proven himself to be dishonest. Given that his campaign to prove his “innocence” has left him skint, then anything he says only comes across as an attempt to make money. If I was to be proved wrong on you then I would gladly no longer follow the sport as it would indicate guilt by all – so I believe in your innocence.The sport needs life time bans for any doping transgressions in any case.
More importantly it needs the comments of the clean riders to be unequivocal on dopers and their return to the sport. I re read the final postscripts to Paul Kimmage’s book last night and I understand his anger on this point.
Please don’t leave it at the more “dignified” response you have given, good riders have had success stolen from them by cheats. If that happened to me in my job, I would be very vocal and very P%^^^&d off!
I believe you Michael. I have read your web site for a few years now and believe you to be a man of integrity in a sometimes very grey cycling world. I am not sure of Floyd’s agenda – to me it doesn’t sense. If he did wrong, admit it and move on. You don’t blacken all around you as well, even though they may have done it, maybe they made him do it – so what, thats up to them. Now because he denied it for so long, what can we believe?
I do believe there are some clean athletes and you are one of them
I was at stages 7 and 8 of the Tour of California last week and can say that absolutely no one in the crowd believes Landis. No one can understand why he would do this. He must just be mentally ill.
At the end of the day any rider who has used outlawed/ illegal substances will have to live with the burden of their own guilt when looking back and reflecting on their careers, victorious or not. It has been a breath of fresh air seeing your love for the sport, and the way you described how it developed as a young kid in Toronto. That passion only came to me now in my mid twenties but the enjoyment I get from seeing you and other cyclists who believe in firm and fair game when turning yourselves inside and out in all weather conditions, races and roles within the respective teams inspires me and will encourage the future champions of tomorrow. Chapeau!
Hi Michael,
I’ve followed both you and your father’s excellent writings for many years now and I just wanted to add my words of support to the many above. From all you have said and the attitude you show I find it impossible to believe the vicious slander that Landis has aimed at you.
Keep up the great work and, as we say in New Zealand, kia kaha (stand tall)…
All the best, Oli
It is a sad commentary on our times, that one can be so casually, and callously, defamed. But thankfully, guilt doesn’t lie in the words of the accuser, but in the ultimate judgment of one’s peers. Your peers, family and friends have unequivocally rejected the accusations.
Clearly Floyd needs pity as much, or perhaps more, than condemnation. The inability to change past events, which obviously have had such a negative impact on his current life, has doubtlessly left him with a sense of powerlessness and an inability to control himself. You believe in yourself and in what you stand for, and so do we.
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