Active Expert: Bruce Hildenbrand: Tyler and Floyd: A Tale of Two Comebacks

While the cycling world is still reeling from the revelation that Lance Armstrong will make a comeback, several other high profile American riders are staging comebacks of their own. However, unlike Lance, who has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) both Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton did test positive. Hamilton served his two year suspension and returned to the pro peloton in 2007 with Rock Racing while Landis' suspension ends in January 2009; he has been linked to the Momentum Sports Group which has Health Net as it's title sponsor.

Tyler's comeback got off to a rocky start when he was initially excluded from the Tour of California then at the last minute given the green light to participate. He chose to support his other two excluded teammates Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla and not start as well. His form gradually increased throughout the season and peaked in mid-summer with a win at the Tour of Quinhai Lake a week-long UCI-rated stage race in China. However, his biggest win was undoubtedly the USPRO road championship in Greenville, South Carolina which will enable the 37-year old Boulder resident the privilege of wearing the so-called "Captain America" jersey next year.

Though there is no official verification, Floyd Landis has been linked to team Health Net-Maxxis' management company, Momentum Sports Group. Health Net is discontinuing its sponsorship at the end of 2008, the rumour is that Smith&Nephew, the company which makes Floyd's artificial hip will step in as title sponsor.

While just about everybody is hailing Lance's comeback, both Tyler's and Floyd's return to the pro peloton are being met with mixed reaction. Many are unhappy that two riders, who have never confessed to their doping positives, are back in the fold. Others feel that Floyd's and Tyler's positive results were fraught with enough doubt that they should never have had to be sanctioned in the first place.

Regardless of how one feels the facts are that both Tyler and Floyd will have served the entire length of their suspensions and by the regulations that govern professional cycling, they are now free and clear to return to racing. If the governing body of the sport is able to grant the riders a second chance shouldn't the fans be able to do the same? Even if you feel that they cheated, under the rules of the sport as they stand now, they are allowed to return. Can the fans forgive?

How do you feel about the situation?

Bruce

1,096 Views Tags: bruce_hildenbrand, lance_armstrong, floyd_landis, tyler_hamilton

Sep 18, 2008 10:35 AM

mike says:

Let'em ride. They served their penalty's and it's not like they robbed or murdered anyone. It's just bike racing. We let people out of jail after serving their time. Hell, child molesters are allowed to live in public - and that's way more scarier to me than an athlete doping!

Sep 18, 2008 10:54 AM

Randy P says:

I can't wait for Floyd to come back. I hope the governing bodies of bike racing can get over their own reservations and let him race. It doesn't seem like riders who don't admit to doping get the same chance to return. I hope Floyd can return in the same way that David Millar did despite this fact. I also would love to see Tyler come up to a larger team that isn't mired with a stigma like Rock Racing is.

Sep 18, 2008 11:05 AM

Cyndi says:

Let 'em ride. Their two years of suspension were punishment enough, with the press, etc breathing down their necks. These guys had to have learned their lessons. Besides, with the level of testing going on now, the strict contracts and the transparency that teams are requiring now, these guys will surely get caught if they dope, if they're foolish enough to do it again. That's their choice. It's also their choice if they want those two years back again.

Sep 18, 2008 11:52 AM

Jesse@Active says:

The Tour of California organizers must be tapping their fingers together and, in their best C. Montgomery Burns voice, saying "Excellent."

It's all coming together for a super-exciting 2009 race: Landis riding again in his home state, Hamilton riding in his Rock Racing-designed USPRO champion kit, and, of course, the triumphant return of Lance Armstrong. Oh...and last year's champ, Levi Leipheimer, will probably be there, too. It'll be like a multi-player chess match on two wheels! Whether I think they should ride or not, I can't wait to see that.

Sep 19, 2008 6:01 AM

MotiveForcer says:

The "evidence" against both Floyd and Tyler always seemed suspect to me. If a rider takes a steroid it is sustained in the blood over time yet the day after the positive test sample for Floyd was clean. How is that? And Tyler, mixing of blood groups is bizarre at best. If I give you an unmatched blood, unless it is a universal donor, you aren't going to have improved performance, you're going to get sick or die.

So, nevertheless these two tough nuts are welcome on my t.v. screen, oh wait, who covers bike racing. There is one race in France every year that seems to get covered but hardly anything else. I'm left with cage fighting and wrestlers so huge no one considers those guys to be on enhancers? Football players come back after their suspensions. Mostly people are open to the comeback. Tyler's performance with a broken collar bone in the tour was so amazing that he stands out as one of the toughest performers in any sport I've witnessed.

And the only thing I have a difficulty with in regards to Lance's comeback, as I think he could win it and I think it is great for the sport and the cancer awareness considerations is that I'm a nervous wreck watching him race. Will he do it? How's he doing today? Will some kid with a lunch bag knock him over? I'm on the edge of my seat when that talent rides. When he's not racing it is much more relaxing for me to take it in. But if Lance on the bike raises my blood pressure a bit, I'll try to take in the excitement!

Sep 19, 2008 2:18 PM

Team Go Slow says:

Guilty? Innocent? I don't think we really will ever know. I hope that these two are able to finish their careers without any major controversy. I will cheer them both as they have proven to be tough competitors. Both have raced and won with injuries that would have layed out most of us mortals for weeks if not months. If we can welcome back Dave Millar we can certainly welcome these two back.

Tim

Sep 20, 2008 6:49 PM

Jim D says in response to mike:

Well Said, very well said.

These guys are treated like hard criminals

for using ped's. It is one of the most

ridiculous things in our in any society.

Glad to see them back in the peloton!

Now if only they were going to be at the 2009

TdF! Imagine, Lane, Floyd, Basso, and Hamilton back.