(The article was originally published in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on June 18, 2006.)

Floyd Landis has ridden bicycles -- inexpensive mountain bikes to custom-made road racing machines -- for half his life. He's raced thousands of miles and won races throughout the world, Oregon to Portugal.

But it was only two years ago when Landis' cycling epiphany occurred one day in July while he was pedaling with a purpose in the French Alps.

It was also the same ride, stage 17th of the 2004 Tour de France, that catapulted Landis into the sport's top echelon.

Fast-forward two years. With Lance Armstrong, the seven-time consecutive winner retired, Landis, 30, now an eight-year pro, is being touted as a Tour de France title contender.

Although some final team rosters have not been announced, Landis and at least five other top-10 overall finishers in the Tour of California will compete beginning July 1 in cycling's biggest event.

The three-week race starts in Strasbourg and progresses 2,272 miles in a counterclockwise route to its July 23 finish in Paris.

Landis, captain of the Swiss-based squad, Phonak Hearing Systems, will be a team leader for the second year and while in the most successful season of his career.

It was Landis' dominating time trial win and overall title in the inaugural Tour of California last February that began his stellar year.  Quiet, efficient and possessor of superior bike-handling skills, Landis didn't say much during or after his Tour of California win.

"I was fortunate to win the time trial and then I just tried to maintain the race lead," he said in the post-race press conference.

Landis then also won Paris-Nice in France and the Tour of Georgia, both also one-week races with prestigious international fields.

While Landis was busy riding, plenty of others than began to talk for him and about him. The cover photograph of the current issue of Outside Magazine features a bearded, stoic-looking Landis. The article's headline reads:

"Lance Who? Why Floyd Landis Will Wear This Year's Yellow Jersey."

The jersey mention, of course, refers to the color of the leader's jersey in the Tour de France.

Landis also has a line of T-shirts and other merchandise, most promoting his personal Floyd logo, the earpiece logo of his team and various monikers referencing "Floyd.''

Landis a former mountain biker who reportedly signed his first pro road contract for a reported $600 a month in 1999, has come along way.

He began riding at age 15 when h
e a friend in the Mennonite-dominated area of Lancaster County, Pa., rode their bikes to go fishing. Landis rode a battered low-end mountain bike.

A few years later when cycling became more important than fishing, Landis moved to California. He raced mountain bikes for four years, got married and he and his wife Amber had a daughter, Ryan, now age 10.

By 2002, Landis had become a solid road racer. When his first team, Mercury, folded, he signed to ride with the U.S. Postal Service, Armstrong's team. Just prior to the Tour de France, Landis was named to his new team's squad. Armstrong reportedly hand-picked Landis.

With the Outdoor Life Network broadcasting the event daily, Landis' parents and other Mennonites back home in Pennsylvania reportedly watched television for the first time. Landis finished 61st overall. He finished 77th in 2003 after recovering from broken hip he suffered a fall in January while cycling from his health club in San Diego.

Landis was back for his third Tour de France in 2004. During the mountainous 17th stage, as he had during several previous stage, Landis rode for hours in support Armstrong.

But with about 7 miles left in a more than 125-mile mountainous trek, Landis was outriding Armstrong toward the finish in Le Grand Bornand, France.

Landis also appeared stronger than the other front-runners -- Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloden of Germany and Ivan Basso of Italy -- and he was seen en route to claiming his first individual stage win in the sport's most prestigious race.

Strange things happen in the waning miles of bike races, though.

Landis eventually placed fifth and Armstrong rode strategically to a unique sprint win.

Armstrong, however, repeatedly praised his teammate after the stage, offering that he wanted Landis to win -- if it hadn't been tactically wise at the last minute to win himself. Landis, after all, had led Armstrong through mountains, and he still had the strength left to vie for the stage win.

The two riders also had a conversation with about 7 miles left. The quick exchange has become part of Armstrong's thick career log of quick, unexpected Tour moments.

According to Armstrong in his post-race news conference, the riders' dialogue was as follows:

Armstrong: "How bad do you want to win a stage in the Tour de France?"

Landis: "Real Bad.''

Armstrong: "How fast can you go downhill?''

Landis: "I go downhill real fast. Can I do it?"

Armstrong: "Sure you can do it. Ride like you stole something, Floyd."

Three days later, Armstrong was the overall titlist for a record-breaking sixth time. Landis finished 23rd.

Last year, Armstrong claimed his seventh consecutive Tour title and retired. Landis, is his team leader's debut with Phonak, placed ninth and will have plenty of optimism toward 2006.