The NY Times reports today that U.S. Cyclists Arrive in Beijing Wearing Masks:

After months of speculation about how Olympic athletes would react to the air quality problems here, some answers arrived at the airport Tuesday when four track cyclists on the United States Olympic team stepped off their flight wearing masks over their mouths and noses.

They were the first athletes to be seen wearing masks or doing anything proactive to combat the effects of pollution.

The masks they wore were specially designed by and issued to them by the United States Olympic Committee. The U.S.O.C.’s lead exercise physiologist, Randy Wilber, had advised U.S. Olympians to wear the masks on the plane and as soon as they stepped foot in Beijing.

Two of the cyclists wore the masks on the plane. The other two put on the masks when they arrived at the airport.

Read the rest at the NY Times here. Can anyone identify the masked US Cyclist in the photo from the NY Times?

Maybe this is a chance for Floyd Landis to stage a masked comeback?