A US rider who failed a drugs test is now set to launch his own cycling team.
ADVERTISEMENTA US rider who helped expose drugs cheat Lance Armstrong is set to launch his own cycling team.
Floyd Llandis, who was himself banned after failing a drugs test, is planning to unveil the new outfit next year.
“I have a long history with USA Cycling, and I’d just assume I’d start with a clean slate,” the 42-year-old told the Wall Street Journal.
Llandis accused Amstrong and other cyclists from the US Postal Service team of taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2010.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong was later stripped of his titles and banned from the sport for life.
The disgraced champion was then ordered to pay $5 million to the US government in April after he was accused of defrauding the publicly-funded national cycling team by accepting sponsorship money while denying doping claims.
After legal fees, Landis ended up receiving $750,000 (€650,000) from the settlement for being the original claimant — money which he’ll inject into his new team, he told the WSJ.
“I have a conflicted relationship with cycling, as everybody knows, but I still like it,” he said.
“I’m contrite about what happened, but you can never go back and change the decisions you made.
“At the very least, people can see that I’m ready to move on.”
Money for the new venture will also come from Llandis' profitable cannabis company in Colorado, where he sells legal Cannabidiol (CBD) products under the banner Floyd’s of Leadville.