Liar

Books don't usually anger me. This one did. Lots.

Positively False was one of my favorite reads of the summer. I was fascinated by the autobiography of Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

In just two days, I gobbled up the story of his childhood, his rise to fame, his winning of the 2006 Tour and his apparent false accusation of doping.

Brad read it during our backpacking trip and also loved it, saying it restored some of his faith in the bicycle-racing community... maybe doping isn't really as prevalent as we believe.

Then last night, Brad Googled Landis and discovered that the bike racer actually admitted, several years after writing the book, to doping throughout his career.

"I take responsibility for all the stuff I did," Landis said in the interview. "No one gave me something and said, 'Don't ask what this is, just take it.' I would never have done that. The things I took, I knew what they were, and I spent the time researching what the risks were, and the decisions I made were mine. The whole entire process of doping in the entire sport and the evolution of it all wasn't my fault, but when it came down to it, me being there, I made the decision to do it. It wasn't anyone else telling me to do it. I'm not blaming anyone for that. It was my decision. Every time." As reported on ESPN.com.

It felt like a punch in the gut.

I don't know this man, and I have no personal stake in the situation. But his book made me believe him - believe in him. I felt sorry for him. He drew me in.

Apparently the autobiography was actually a complete work of fiction... the work of a major egotistical nut job (I believe that's the medical term - correct me if I'm wrong, my psychologist friends!)

So very disappointing.

:)