[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 15922-15923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO FLOYD LANDIS, WINNER OF THE 2006 TOUR DE FRANCE

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate an 
incredible feat of physical and mental endurance, a feat that was 
completed on Sunday, July 23. Floyd Landis, a native of Lancaster 
County, PA, completed the 20th stage of the 2006 Tour de France with an 
overall time of 89 hours, 39 minutes and 30 seconds, winning the race 
by 57 seconds in the closest three-way finish in the long history of 
the tour.
  In winning the 93rd Tour de France, Floyd Landis became just the 
third American cyclist to win this most prestigious of races, joining 
previous American victors Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong. He, like 
them before him, has become the face of American cycling, and, frankly, 
we could not ask for a better spokesman.
  The Tour de France, with this year's race totaling over 2,200 miles, 
is known around the globe as one of the toughest physical challenges in 
the sporting world. It is an incredible feat for anyone to finish this 
grueling, 20-stage race. But that Floyd Landis finished--and that he 
won--is even more astounding. Landis suffers from osteoporosis of the 
hip, an ailment so severe he will require hip replacement surgery in 
the very near future. Yet, in a staggering display of determination and 
mental toughness, Landis put aside the pain that was, in his words, 
``bad, it's grinding, it's bone rubbing on bone,'' to win the race in 
convincing fashion.
  Landis and his Phonak Hearing Systems team also demonstrated that 
cycling is a mental challenge as much as a physical one. In spite of 
the temptation to stay as the frontrunner and in the face of various 
pundits questioning their strategy, Phonak purposely relinquished the 
overall lead of the race in the 13th stage, conserving their energy for 
the late push that ultimately resulted in victory.
  In the course of the race, Floyd Landis also proved the wisdom of the 
oft-quoted adage, ``Never give up.'' After struggling through the 16th 
stage, a stage which saw him lose 10 minutes and fall from first to 
eleventh place, Landis stunned the field and the pundits with what 
former champion Lemond aptly described as ``the best day I've seen in 
cycling in years . . . maybe ever,'' winning the 17th stage by

[[Page 15923]]

more than 6 minutes and putting himself in prime position to win the 
race. Landis followed up his epic ride with a strong showing in the 
final individual time trial, outpacing his closest rival by nearly a 
minute and a half and regaining the overall lead, a lead he held for 
the remainder of the race.
  Floyd Landis grew up in Farmersville, PA, a small town located about 
50 miles to the southeast of Harrisburg. The Landis family was and is a 
tight-knit, modest group that instilled in Floyd a belief in the merit 
of working hard. As the story goes, Floyd was often so inundated with 
chores that the only time he could ride was in the middle of the 
night--which, of course, he did. Surely, as with so many of us, Floyd 
Landis's family played an integral role in shaping him into the man he 
is today and in the successes that he has enjoyed.
  Floyd Landis, whom I am proud to call a fellow Pennsylvanian, has 
proven that with determination and an immense strength of spirit, even 
the most extreme obstacles can be overcome and success can be attained. 
He has inspired countless Americans across our Nation, and many more 
around the world, and I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.

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