Tour champ had high testosterone levels

[Piggybank Cop]

Tour champ had high testosterone levels

Associated Press


LONDON (AP) - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said Thursday on its Web site, raising questions about his victory.

2006 Tour de France

The team suspended Landis, pending results of the backup "B" sample of his drug test, just four days after Landis stood on the victory podium on the Champs-Elysees, succeeding seven-time winner Lance Armstrong as an American winner in Paris.

The Swiss-based Phonak team said it was notified by the UCI on Wednesday that Landis' sample showed "an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone" when he was tested after stage 17 of the race last Thursday.

"The team management and the rider were both totally surprised of this physiological result," the Phonak statement said.

Landis made a remarkable comeback in that Alpine stage, racing far ahead of the field for a solo win that moved him from 11th to third in the overall standings. He regained the leader's yellow jersey two days later.

Landis rode the Tour with a degenerative hip condition that he has said will require surgery in the coming weeks or months.

Arlene Landis, his mother, said Thursday that she wouldn't blame her son if he was taking medication to treat the pain in his injured hip, but "if it's something worse than that, then he doesn't deserve to win."

"I didn't talk to him since that hit the fan, but I'm keeping things even keel until I know what the facts are," she told The Associated Press in a phone interview from her home in Farmersville, Pennsylvania. "I know that this is a temptation to every rider but I'm not going to jump to conclusions ... It disappoints me."

The Phonak statement came a day after the UCI, cycling's world governing body, said an unidentified rider had failed a drug test during the Tour.

Phonak said Landis would ask for an analysis of his backup sample "to prove either that this result is coming from a natural process or that this is resulting from a mistake."

Landis has been suspended by his team pending the results. If the second sample confirms the initial finding, he will be fired, Phonak said.

USA Cycling spokesman Andy Lee said that organization could not comment on Landis.

"Because it's an anti-doping matter, it's USA Cycling's policy not to comment on that subject out of respect for the process and Floyd's rights," Lee said. "Right now, we have to let the process proceed and we can't comment on it."

Carla O'Connell, publications and communications director for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said: "I'll make this very brief: No comment."

Under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, a ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone greater than 4:1 is considered a positive result and subject to investigation. The threshold was recently lowered from 6:1. The most likely natural ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in humans is 1:1.

Testosterone is included as an anabolic steroid on WADA's list of banned substances, and its use can be punished by a two-year ban.

Landis wrapped up his Tour de France win on Sunday, keeping the title in U.S. hands for the eighth straight year. Armstrong, long dogged by doping whispers and allegations, won the previous seven. Armstrong never has tested positive for drugs and vehemently has denied doping.

Speculation that Landis had tested positive spread earlier Thursday after he failed to show up for a one-day race in Denmark on Thursday. A day earlier, he missed a scheduled event in the Netherlands.

On the eve of the Tour's start, nine riders - including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso - were ousted, implicated in a Spanish doping investigation.

The names of Ullrich and Basso turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who's at the center of the Spanish doping probe.


Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race.
[COLOR="Blue"]


Well of course he did compared to all the others; he’s an American.

[Virginian]

It's really not his fault. He bumped into me in a McDonalds and some of my excess testosterone must have transferred to him when my triceps brushed his puny arms.

[Andrewtx]

It just seems so hard to believe that he would use some sort of prohibited substance. With all of the Lance Armstrong controversy and everything else the last few years - not to mention the attention this has received in other sports - how could anyone be so stupid?

[Terminator]

Maybe he had high hopes?

[conalabu]

Probably got some from drinking that nasty spanish wine.

[Just KC]

They know they will be tested...so WHY??? Stupid!

[Piggybank Cop]

Landis denies cheating, but may lose Tour title

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Floyd Landis' stunning Tour de France victory just four days earlier was thrown into question Thursday when his team said he tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race.

2006 Tour de France

The Phonak team suspended Landis, pending results of the backup "B" sample of his drug test. If Landis is found guilty of doping, he could be stripped of the Tour title and fired from the team.

But Landis told Sports Illustrated on Thursday that he didn't cheat.

"No, c'mon man," he said when asked if he used some kind of testosterone patch to gain an advantage.

In a teleconference held later, Landis said he knows his reputation might be permanently tarnished. "Unfortunately, I don't think it's ever going to go away no matter what happens next," Landis said.

"I think there's a good possibility I'll clear my name," Landis continued. "Regardless of whether this happens or not, I don't know if this will ever go away."

Landis said he wouldn't be surprised if people were skeptical of him and the sport of cycling, but he pleaded for time to clear his name.

"All I'm asking for," he said, "is that I be given a chance to prove that I'm innocent. Cycling has a traditional way of trying people in the court of public opinion before they get a chance to do anything else.

"I would like to be presumed innocent until proven guilty - since that's the way we do things in America."

Arlene Landis said her son called Thursday from Europe and told her he had not done anything wrong.

"He said, 'There's no way,"' she said in an interview with The Associated Press at her home in Farmersville, Pennsylvania. "I really believe him."

Second-place finisher Oscar Pereiro, who would become champion if Landis is not cleared, said he was in no mood to celebrate.

"Should I win the Tour now it would feel like an academic victory," Pereiro told the AP at his home in Vigo, Spain. "The way to celebrate a win is in Paris, otherwise it's just a bureaucratic win."

The Swiss-based Phonak team said it was notified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Wednesday that Landis' sample showed "an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone" when he was tested after stage 17 of the race last Thursday.

"The team management and the rider were both totally surprised of this physiological result," the Phonak statement said.

The 30-year-old Landis made a remarkable comeback in that Alpine stage, racing far ahead of the field for a solo win that moved him from 11th to third overall. Despite a degenerative hip condition that will require surgery, he regained the leader's yellow jersey two days later.

Phonak's statement came a day after the UCI, cycling's world governing body, said an unidentified rider had failed a drug test during the Tour. The team said Landis would ask for an analysis of his backup sample "to prove either that this result is coming from a natural process or that this is resulting from a mistake."

It wasn't immediately known when the backup sample will be tested, but Phonak manager John Lelangue said the team would ask for that to happen in the next few days.

"He will be fighting ... waiting for the B analysis and then proving to everyone that this can be natural," Lelangue said in a telephone interview.

Arlene Landis said it could take two weeks for the results of the backup test to be made public.

"Of course he wasn't happy about it, but they're spoiling everything he's supposed to be doing right now," she said. "Why couldn't they take care of this before they pronounced him the winner? Lance (Armstrong) went through this too. Somebody doesn't want him to win.

"Why do they put you through two weeks of misery and spoil your crown? My opinion is when he comes on top of this everyone will think so much more of him. So that's what valleys are for, right?"

USA Cycling spokesman Andy Lee said that organization could not comment on the matter until the process is complete. Carla O'Connell, publications and communications director for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, also had no comment.

UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani said Landis was notified of the test Wednesday morning. He said the cycling body doesn't require analysis of the "B" sample, but that Landis requested it.

"We are confident in the first (test)," Carpani said. "For us, the first one is already good."

"It is obviously distressing," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said at a Paris news conference, stressing the backup test still must be done. Prudhomme said it would be up to the UCI to deretmine penalties.

Under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, a ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone greater than 4:1 is considered a positive result and subject to investigation. The threshold was recently lowered from 6:1. The most likely natural ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in humans is 1:1.

Testosterone is included as an anabolic steroid on WADA's list of banned substances, and its use can be punished by a two-year ban.

Testosterone can build muscle and improve recovery time when used over a period of several weeks, said Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. But if Landis had been a user, his earlier urine tests during the tour would have been affected.

"So something's missing here," Wadler said. "It just doesn't add up."

Landis wrapped up his Tour de France win on Sunday, keeping the title in U.S. hands for the eighth straight year. Armstrong, long dogged by doping whispers and allegations, won the previous seven. Armstrong never has tested positive for drugs and vehemently has denied doping.

Landis' inspiring Tour ride reminded many of fellow American Tyler Hamilton's gritty 2003 performance. Hamilton, riding for team CSC, broke his collarbone on the first day of the Tour but rode on, despite the pain, and finished fourth overall.

But, a year later, Hamilton, then riding for Phonak, tested positive for blood doping at a Spanish race and now is serving a two-year ban. He has denied blood doping.

Speculation that Landis had tested positive spread earlier Thursday after he failed to show up for a one-day race in Denmark on Thursday. A day earlier, he missed a scheduled event in the Netherlands.

On the eve of the Tour's start, nine riders - including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso - were ousted, implicated in a Spanish doping investigation.

The names of Ullrich and Basso turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who's at the center of the Spanish doping probe. Landis was not implicated in that investigation.

Asked repeatedly what might have tripped his positive test, Landis refused to lay blame on anything in particular. "As to what actually caused it on that particular day, I can only speculate," he said.

Landis said he was still in Europe, but declined to say exactly where. "Not to be elusive, I have to figure out a way to get to the airport and get home."

Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Lalo Villar in Vigo, Spain, and Todd Dvorak in Sully, Iowa, and AP Sports Writers Arnie Stapleton in Denver, Jamey Keaten in Paris and Melissa Murphy in Sully, Iowa, contributed to this report.

[Piggybank Cop]

Landis says his testosterone is naturally high
/ Associated Press


MADRID, Spain (AP) - Floyd Landis said he has naturally high testosterone levels, and will undergo tests to prove he is not guilty of doping at the Tour de France.

"We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case but a natural occurrence," Landis said Thursday in his first public appearance since a positive doping test cast doubt on one of the most stirring Tour de France comeback wins in history.
Landis said his positive test results had nothing to do with doping, and that the high level of testosterone in his blood was the result of his natural metabolism.

"I would like to make absolutely clear that I am not in any doping process," he said. "I ask not to be judged by anyone, much less sentenced by anyone."

The cyclist, a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, defended himself as an honest competitor who had devoted his life to the sport of cycling.

"I declare convincingly and categorically that my winning the Tour de France has been exclusively due to many years of training and my complete devotion to cycling," he said, adding that he has "absolute respect for the cleanness of the sport."

"I was the strongest guy. I deserved to win, and I'm proud of it," he said, flanked by his two Spanish lawyers and wearing a red and black baseball cap and a white shirt with the name of his Phonak team.

It was Landis's first public appearance since testing positive for high testosterone following his extraordinary comeback in the Tour's 17th stage last week.

Landis and the rest of the cycling world must await a second test that will either confirm the results of the first one, or clear his name.

The rider said he hoped that would be concluded as soon as possible, and John Lelangue, manager of his Switzerland-based Phonak team, said he would ask that the backup sample be tested in the next few days.

The team suspended Landis after the International Cycling Union notified it Wednesday that he had an "unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone."

Landis said Friday that he was shocked when told of the initial positive result. He said he had been tested six other times during the Tour, and many other times during the year.

News Thursday of Landis' positive test rocked the cycling world, which has been under a cloud following a wide-ranging doping investigation in Spain that led to the barring of several of the world's leading cyclists from the tournament.

Jean-Francois Lamour, France's Minister for Youth, Sports and Associations, said the scandal was a "serious blow" to the Tour de France's credibility.

"The whole (cycling) culture must change," he said. "I don't understand why some spend more time trying to cheat than preparing for the race."

Landis had been missing in action since the allegations surfaced on Thursday. He held a teleconference hours after the news broke, but refused to say where he was calling from.

His appearance in Spain was only announced a few hours ahead of time.

On the eve of the Tour's start, nine riders - including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso - were ousted, implicated in a Spanish doping investigation.

The names of Ullrich and Basso turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who's at the center of the Spanish doping probe. Landis was not implicated in that investigation.

[Retdetsgt]

Maybe he's just a hell of a man! From what I read about him riding with a bad hip, that might just be it.

[BrickCop]

It's not fair to compare the testoserone levels of a kick ass American with a surrender monkey, estrogen laden Frenchman.

It takes balls to have such high levels of T...

[Ducky]

Seems like they want to start crap like this whenever an American wins.