Landis’ witnesses took the stand Monday
Monday in Malibu, Calif., it was Floyd Landis’ witnesses who spelled out the case that the positive test after his Stage 17 comeback ride last year was based on faulty scientific data.
“I’m terribly sorry, but if someone’s life depends on it, his career depends on it, you don’t go on assumptions,” said Dr. Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, an expert in the kind of testing that produced Landis’ positive result.
Also testifying was John Amory, a University of Washington endocrinologist who sometimes serves on the USADA review board.
“The case didn’t make a lot of sense to me,” Amory said. “Initially, when I saw the documents, I thought there were irregularities, first with the handling of the samples, then with the results.”
He also said data from the Landis testosterone-to-epitesosterone screening tests didn’t conform with results from the more detailed carbon-isotope ratio tests that are administered to confirm the T-E tests.
•In Lido Di Camaiore, Italy, Danilo Napolitano won the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish, and Marco Pinotti retained the overall leader’s pink jersey.
Football
Draft trimming
Today in Nashville Tenn., NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners will hold a one-day meeting. On the agenda, the topic of trimming the current 15 minutes for a first-round selection and 10 during the second.
The owners will also have vote on whether to award the 2011 Super Bowl to Indianapolis, North Texas or Glendale, Ariz.
•The New England Patriots re-signed linebacker Junior Seau for a second season.
•In Cincinnati, prosecutors say more testing is needed to determine whether Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, who has been suspended by the NFL and is on probation in criminal cases in two states, failed a drug screening.
•In Denver, Broncos receiver David Kircus was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault.
Kircus got into an argument when he was asked to leave a party early Sunday, hit a man and broke bones in his face, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department said.
•Linebacker A.J. Nicholson was waived by the Bengals hours after he pleaded not guilty to a charge he hit his girlfriend in Covington, Ky. She insists she accidentally hit herself with a cell phone, and police misread what happened.
•Quarterback Mitch Mustain, who went 8-0 as a freshman starter last season for Arkansas, has transferred to Southern California.
Miscellany
Blake, Fish both lose
James Blake and Marty Fish both lost at the round-robin World Team Cup tennis tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Fernando Gonzalez defeated Blake 6-4, 7-5 and Nicolas Massu beat Fish 6-4, 7-6 (1) in the clay-court event.
•Vera Zvonareva of Russia withdrew from the French Open with a left wrist injury.
•Paul Tracy, who missed the past two races with a back injury, was cleared to drive and will return to Forsythe Racing for the June 10 Mazda Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland.