Landis defense: PR gambit or skilful legal tactic?

by Mark Zalewski, North American Editor

The release of Floyd Landis' strategy by his defense team, led by attorney Howard Jacobs, is a clear indication of the public relations component to his overall defense. Whether or not this will affect the outcome of the arbitration between Landis and USADA will likely not ever be revealed. However, the defense strategy goes beyond the arbitration stage for Landis and into the court of public opinion, where he will have a lot of work to do to repair his ethos, if he is not found guilty.

"Floyd will have to restore his reputation at the end of the case," an optimistic Jacobs told Cyclingnews. "It's one thing to have the arbitrators clear him. I don't know if he can ever have it fully restored from the damage that they have done. But this type of approach for the public to see and decide for themselves goes a long way towards that."

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