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Californian offers Landis $100,000 to take polygraph test
Published: Aug. 4, 2006
San Diego computer entrepreneur Michael Robertson on Thursday offered Tourde France winner Floyd Landis $100,000 to "clear the air" and take a polygraphexamination while addressing charges that he doped on his way to victoryin the Tour.Robertson, who made his fortune off of investments in a host of softwarecompanies - including a Linux-based operating system called "Linspire"and and VOIP system know as SIPphone - is also a former collegiate cyclistand fan of the professional peloton. Robertson sent a fax addressed toLandis on Thursday offering to test the cyclist using a set of mutuallyagreed-upon questions designed to reveal facts surrounding doping allegationsthat came to light just days after completion of the Tour.Robertson, on Friday, said he had not received a response from eitherthe team or Landis himself.The full text of Robertson's fax follows:
To: Floyd Landis
Phonak Cycling Team
Eichtal 8634 Hombrechtikon
Dear Floyd,
Over the years I've watched every second of the outstanding coverageon the OLN network of the Tour de France - the toughest race in the world.I used to race bikes in my collegiate years. My roommate and high schoolbuddy convinced me to go out for the UCSD Cycling team. I wasn't blessedwith much natural talent, but persevered and actually won a race in my4 year career. It helped me understand some of what goes into the 3-weektorture called the Tour.When I first heard the television announcers mention your name I tookspecial interest because of your ties to my hometown of San Diego. I watchedyour years of loyal work as a domestique on Team Discovery to helping pullLance Armstrong to 3 of his Tour victories. I know how tough it is to literallycarry water and sacrifice your own body and chance for victory for yourleader so I cheered your move to the Phonak Team where you'd have a chanceto see just how good you could be.This year, I learned about your grounded Mennonite upbringing whereyour mom made you ride your bike with sweat pants. And with the list ofcheaters that were kicked out before the beginning of the Tour, I lookedforward to your opportunity in the big race. Your stunning revelationsabout your dead hip midway through the race just made me cheer for youharder. On Stage 15 when you reclaimed the leader's yellow jersey on theinfamous Alpe d'Huez, I thought you'd keep it until the podium in Paris.But the next day I watched you collapse and fall more than 10 minutes behindthe leaders. Like many I thought your chance for victory was over thisyear. Your epic ride on Stage 17 which included an 80 mile solo breakawayover 4 mountain passes left me in awe and of course put you back in contention.(On that morning I was preparing to ride my bike to work so I happenedto be watching morning coverage in cycling gear. My son asked if it wasmore fun to watch it dressed up pretending like I was there. Funny.) Yoursolid time trial sealed the victory and I celebrated with you from my couchon your ride down Champs-Elysées as the Champion.Needless to say I was shocked by the news headlines days later announcingyour positive test for out of ratio levels of testosterone. I guess we'reawaiting results from the B sample but these tests are rarely inaccurateso I have to believe those results will simply confirm results from thefirst test. Which leaves me to ponder what the truth is. I don't want tobelieve you are a cheater. I've heard news reports of your denial, butthat carries little weight after the string of baseball and track athletes'bold-faced lies that they have "never knowingly" taken banned substancesonly to later have it revealed that there were truck loads of physicalevidence.I want to believe you earned your victory through grit, determinationand hard training, but I need proof. I would like to offer to pay you $100,000to take a polygraph test. The test would cover the 2006 Tour de Franceand your alleged use of banned drugs leading up to and during the event.We could agree to the questions before hand. After the test I would makethe video of the test itself and the results as determined by the independentexaminer available on the net for free for all to view. Whether the resultsexonerate or implicate you they would be published to the world.The results would not influence the outcome of your case with the cyclingsanctioning body, but a positive result would bolster millions of fanslike me who want to believe that their new cycling hero is clean. I hopeyou'll take me up on this opportunity.Your wavering fan,
Michael Robertson
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