Embattled 2006 Tour winner Floyd Landis took second place in a Colorado marathon mountain bike race this weekend, clocking in just over seven hours to finish the Leadville 100, coming home two minutes behind five-time event winner Dave Wiens. The result showed that Landis is taking riding a bit more seriously these days, and went considerably better than the Teva Mountain Games in June, where he was passed by women's division winner Shonny Vanlandingham and finished 25 minutes down on the winner.
Landis has been fighting his positive testosterone doping result from the 2006 Tour de France since last year, and since the case is still unresolved, he's left without much to do except wait and wonder. "This race was good because it was something to train for and I could focus on that," said Landis according to thenewstribune.com.
"It's been three months since the hearing and I haven't heard a word - nothing at all," Landis said. "If they're going to do it right and they're going to take their time, that's fine, I don't mind. I just don't know what the time frame is. It would make it a lot more simple if they just said, 'It'll be next January.' That'd be fine."
Hopping on the mountain bike and suffering for seven hours can certainly take one's mind off of troubles, and Landis gave himself more to think about when he crashed early in the race but continued riding despite the blood dripping down his leg and scrapes on his elbows and hands. Riding on his Landis was closing in on Wiens until an untimely flat tyre left him chasing second place. "I chased too hard after the flat," said Landis, "[Wiens] probably was going to win anyway, even without the flat. He's in great shape."
Landis, riding on a surgically repaired hip, finished the race in 7:00:30, one minute 43 seconds behind Wiens was timed in 6:58.47, and then got back on his bike to ride home, according to AP.
