Darron Cummings / AP

Lance Armstrong leads a group of bicyclists around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday. Armstrong says Floyd Landis is speaking too much to the media. “The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media. ... I would have encouraged him just to lay low,” he said.

updated 8:57 a.m. ET Aug. 14, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS - Lance Armstrong believes Floyd Landis has said too much in public in his attempt to disprove the positive drug test that cost him the Tour de France title.

“In this day and age, you’re not going to get a fair shake in the media,” said Armstrong, who rode his bike for charity Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“And the more you get out there and talk about it, I have to talk about it. The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media. ... I would have encouraged him just to lay low.”

Landis, who once competed on Armstrong’s team, appeared on the “Tonight Show” this week and has given interviews on all four major network morning shows.

Landis has cited a variety of possible reasons for his failed test: ingesting something that raised his testosterone, cortisone shots for pain in his degenerating hip, drinking beer and whiskey the night before the test, thyroid medication, his natural metabolism and dehydration.

Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer to win the Tour a record seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, faced constant doping allegations toward the end of his career.

Landis has tested positive for elevated testosterone and synthetic testosterone, leaving Armstrong to answer more questions about performance-enhancing drugs. The Tour de France said it no longer considers Landis its champion.

“It’s obviously not a good situation for cycling,” Armstrong said. “Everybody would admit that. Floyd would admit that. It’s certainly not a good situation for American cycling. But I am a fan and supporter of Floyd Landis. I believe in him.”

Armstrong said cycling’s testing policies are among the strictest in sports.

“That’s why so many people are out there getting caught, or supposedly getting caught, because we’re really aggressive,” he said. “If the NFL had the same policy that cycling has, we’d be talking about something different than Floyd Landis right now. It would be a huge story.”

Armstrong’s two laps Saturday followed the first Race to Replace. All proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Indiana University Cancer Center.

A.J. Smith had the best time in the 10-lap, 25-mile event and earned an honorary spot on the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team for the U.S. Pro Championships in September.

The 34-year-old Armstrong said he’s enjoying life with his three kids and does not have the itch to come out of retirement.

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Armstrong is glad to use cycling to help with cancer research.

“I understand what cycling did for me,” he said. “I know that without the sport ... I wouldn’t have the opportunity to try to transcend the sport or try to do something bigger in life or move onto another phase of life.”