His mother, Arlene, greeted visiting bicyclists offering their congratulations that morning, shortly before Floyd himself called home to report that he had tested positive for an abormally high level of testosterone.

At 9 a.m. — just before the news broke — a group of 30 cyclists from Berks County visited the Landis home in Farmersville.

More specifically, it was the Seasoned Spokes division of the Berks County Bicycle Club. The members are all retired. Most are in their late 60s, but some are in their 80s.

John Rowe, who organized Thursday’s ride, heard the drug test news on his way home from the ride’s start point in Terre Hill.

“I was really shocked,” he said in a phone interview this morning.

The story came on a radio station in Rowe’s car at about 10 a.m. as he drove back home to Mohnton in Chester County.

“I just think his mother is such a wonderful person,” Rowe continued. “I felt sorry for her. I think she’s handled it well (in media interviews).”

The group posed for pictures and chatted with Mrs. Landis for a little over half an hour. She offered the bicyclists homemade lemonade.

“Fresh from the lemons,” Mrs. Landis said, apologizing for the small size of the cups and offering seconds as she scooped drinks from a metal barrel.

But as the day wore on, and news of her son’s failed drug test spread across the globe, the Landises were quickly besieged by reporters both local and from as far away as Germany.

Floyd Landis told a Sports Illustrated columnist Thursday that his parents were driven from their home by the media crush. They are declining all interview requests. A spokeswoman said the couple would not comment further until results of a second drug test were available.

The Landises did not return phone calls this morning.

In statements to the press Thursday, however, Mrs. Landis said that she supports her son.

“I don’t think he did anything wrong,” she said in published reports today. “Somebody doesn’t want him to win.”

Mrs. Landis talked with her son on the phone Thursday morning. He told her that he isn’t guilty.

She previously spoke with him on Tuesday morning and offered congratulations on his win.

Hundreds of people have visited the Landis home in the past week, Mrs. Landis said on Thursday.

A police officer was called to the Landis home Thursday, sometime after the bicyclists left.

Sgt. Scott Ruth of the West Earl Township Police, the only officer on duty this morning, said he thought that the officer was there “to give whatever support he can.”

Ruth was not on duty Thursday. He was on patrol this morning, so he did not have access to police logs.

On Thursday morning, the Landises had a large combination chalkboard and bulletin board in their driveway. Many of the riders tacked up messages of congratulations.

“You have been an inspiration to many people, not only bikers!” wrote one of the cyclists on a white 4-by-6 inch index card.

Whether that inspiration will hold is unclear.

“That’s what all of us have to do,” said Rowe, “stand by until they resolve this one way or another.”

Landis has denied using any illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. A second test to confirm or refute the first results could take one or two weeks to complete.

Rowe, who is 79 and has had both knees replaced, said he is still a supporter of the cyclist.

The Seasoned Spokes ride every Thursday morning from April through November, and this week was Rowe’s turn to lead.

He talked with Mrs. Landis twice to make sure the club was welcome to stop by on its ride. After seeing her in Farmersville Sunday and accepting an invitation, he came by the house again on Wednesday.

“I asked, ‘Were you serious?’” said Rowe, “and she said, ‘You stop and I’ll have lemonade for you.’”

And she did.

“Thanks for stopping,” said Mrs. Landis as the cyclists rode back toward Terre Hill. “It was very special.”

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