Landis not happy with Lance....

whiteboytrash

All of you calm down.......... I was just cutting and pasting a story and offered no opinion on it ! My title suggested what I interpreted from the article nothing more.... i really don’t care if they talk or not..... so chill would ya ! Its all ok.. Lance will win the Tour…..

renoster

Actually, despite riding a stunning tour last year, he got a very low offer from USPS and a much better offer from Phonak. Yes, it was all business.

Pro-cycling, like most sports nowdays is big business - a big moving billboard providing advertizing exposure to sponsors. Nothing wrong with that as it allows us to witness this great spectacle.

The little "spat" between Landis and Armstrong adds to the spectacle and gives great visibility to Discovery Channell as well as Phonak Hearing Systems.

limerickman

Daniel Coyle in "Tour de Force" suggested that USPS/DC riders are paid a pittance, compared to other team riders in the peloton.
40% less is the figur that has been bandied about.

Coyle makes it clear that Landis wanted more money at DC but his employers were unwilling to pay the market rate : Phonak came in with a higher bid and
Landis left.

This happens.

But in reading landis comments since, while his move made business-sense, there does seem to be some amount of bad feeling between him and LA.

renoster

My cynical nature likes to believe that most of these situations are all little media games that are hyped up and give great press to the sponsors.

homeycheese

considering i saw them yucking it up after the TdG "finger pointing" incident, i'd say the same

MJtje

The reason is that Landis is a person who has an clear opinion and LA didn't always like that.........clash of personalities......they both have strong opinions!

ilpirata

There is very little to be offended about here. Landis is not really insulting Lance. Lance is obviously an effective leader and a professional.

JohnO

It's interesting to note how touchy people get around here, come TDF time. When it's over, we can go back to the acceptable level of bile...

Seeing as to how Floyd left DC/Postal, he probably wasn't happy. Well, duh! Lance had taken Floyd under his wing, and may well have been a bit miffed when he followed Tyler over to Phonak.

Lance did take Floyd in when he was flat broke and had no palmares to speak of, and got him into the Tour. And just as Floyd was starting to live up to the faith that had been placed in him - he leaves for Phonak. It's a safe bet that Floyd wouldn't be #1 on a major cycling team today without Lance's support in being on a Tour team at all, so he might want to show a bit of gratitude.

We have to remember that when Floyd jumped ship, it was to be Tyler's domestique. At the time, no one knew that events would lead to Floyd running the team. Lucky fellow, but he shouldn't forget how he got to his present position - talent, good fortune, and a lot of help from The Boss.

JRMDC

You make it sound like LA was helping out a charity case. I don't see LA putting anyone on the team for any reason other than -- wait for it -- it helps LA win the TdF!

Gratitude does not include staying at DC for less money, or fewer opportunies to lead in minor races, or whatever the reasons were that Landis left. DC is a business, Landis is an employee. That is my impression of how things are handled at DC.

rejobako

I tend to agree. If Lance indeed treats his professional cycling career as a business and his teammates as valued subordinates, then his teammates have the right to consider their obligations to Lance in a similarly dispassionate manner. So long as Landis did not violate the terms of his contract, he had the right to further his career as he saw fit. Maybe he owed Lance a debt of gratitude, but gratitude can be conveyed by a mere expression of thanks. Doesn't mean he had to treat his career as one of an indentured domestique.

limerickman

Salary Review :

Employee : "I want more money. The going rate for the job is 40% more than you're paying me, now"

Employer : "You're working for a great company, great boss, be happy with your lot".

Employee "Not while I am being paid 40% less than my peers"

Clash of personalities indeed.

wolfix

I'm curious as to if this was the reason. Many things have been said about LA & Discovery in the public but I have never read anything about salaries being an issue........ I may have missed it. There is an other side to it. Being an American and getting endorsements this side of the Alantic has everything to do with his attachment to LA. LA is a household name. LA is associated with USPS & Discovery. Outside of a few Americans who follow the TDF for other reasons then just the LA bandwagon , nobody but Landis's family really cares what Landis does. As much as I hate the fact , cycling in this country will be non-exsistent as far the Euro scene as soon as LA leaves. Oh , the TDF will get a few minutes every week on ESPN, but the commercials shown will get more of the publics attention then the race.
Landis knows he would never be the team leader on Discovery. He also knows LA has all the Trek/Nike endorsements tied up. And so if he had the ability to possibly win the TDF, he would have to look elsewhere for endorsement deals. Europe is the only place. With Discovery being partially owned by LA , LA has everything tied up. LA like Lemond , is a good businessman. They know the money can keep flowing after they retire. Even if Landis wins 3 TDF's , he still will be an unknown this side of the Alantic by the general public. To follow LA act will be impossible.

The other day I was talking to a younger crit specialist and mountain biker. The name Hampsten came up. He asked "Who?" That is the condition of the sport in this country.

roundsquare1

While Lance might be a household name I don't think cycling will be non-exsistent. If there is money to be made then advertisers will choose another golden boy to get behind.

Also, knowing the name doesn't mean knowing the sport.

Not knowing the name Hampsten doesn't really reflect the state of affairs in the US.

I have many friends who live for cycling and follow the Tour as well as other races and they don't know many names of past greats.

wolfix

I hope you are right about cycling not dropping off much. But it already has as far as TV coverage goes.... OLN showed bits & pieces of the Giro & it will be the same with the Vuelta. But LA has golden boy status because the American public grabbed on to his cancer recovery more then what he did at the TDF. If he won 7 TDF's without the cancer I doubt if we would have as much public exposure in this country of Euro cycling. And true, not knowing the history of the TDF and other American riders do not mean that you are not knowledgable about cycling. But as an American your knowledge about the TDF is limited if you do not know of Hampsten's ride on the Alp du Huez. Your friends who live for cycling may do so, but if they do not know the names of the American greats they are not knowledgeable about the TDF. Interested in the tour ..yes.