As the ongoing Floyd Landis/US Postal service investigation continues, two US professionals have given contrasting views on the inquiry conducted by Federal agent Jeff Novitzky.
Lance Armstrong’s former USPS team-mate Dave Zabriskie has confirmed that he is prepared to speak to investigators. He was asked by the LA Times if he would co-operate if he was summoned by the grand jury, and indicated he would do so. “That's my understanding of the law…I'd have to, right?"
Zabriskie said that he hadn’t yet spoken to anyone involved with the inquiry. This would seem to eliminate him as being the un-named USPS professional rider who was reported by the New York Times recently as having backed up Landis’ claims.
The rider in question told the paper that he had confessed his own drug use to investigators. He apparently spoke about what he said was ‘widespread cheating on the USPS team,’ and implicated Armstrong.
Zabriskie declined to get drawn further into discussions, but said that whatever happened, cycling would be fine. “In five years," he said, "this will just be another [doping] investigation.”
Rahsaan Bahati doesn’t himself agree. "I fear for the future of the sport," he admitted.
World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman feels the inquiry is crucial for cycling and for sports in general. He said that the involvement of Interpol and others has caused it to grow. “It is a big inquiry that involves all of cycling, and many are not just Americans. A lot of attention is being given to Lance, but it could be more considerable than that. An inquiry like this will take time.”