Landis fails second drug test
A flurry of predawn news releases Saturday confirmed what had been looming for more than a week: American cyclist Floyd Landis’ storybook triumph in last month’s Tour de France now appears to be the latest unsightly blemish in a summer already marred by drug scandals in baseball and track and field.
As expected, the Swiss-based International Cycling Union announced early Saturday that the second, “B” sample of Landis’ urine showed an abnormally high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, just as the first sample had. That finding, which could ultimately cost Landis his Tour title, will be sent to USA Cycling, which will then refer the case to the U.S. Anti-Doping Association.
No rider has forfeited a Tour title because of a doping violation. That ruling will ultimately be made by the International Cycling Union (UCI) after the case is adjudicated. The process will likely last at least several months; second-place finisher Oscar Pereiro claimed victory on Saturday.
Landis, 30, was immediately fired from his Swiss-based team for violating its internal code of ethics. He issued an ardent denial and a promise to contest the results in a press release.
“I have never taken any banned substance, including testosterone,” he said in the statement. “I was the strongest man in the Tour de France, and that is why I am the champion.”
If his efforts fail, Landis would be stripped of his first Tour title and likely suspended from the sport for two years, the normal penalty for first-time offenders. If USADA upholds the positive result, Landis could appeal to the American Arbitration Association and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The initial proceedings will likely begin in several weeks; USADA refuses to comment on active cases. Landis remained in the San Diego area, where he lives; his spokesman said the rider would likely comment further in coming days.
“He’s fiery and he’s looking forward to getting the next steps of this process under way and clearing his name,” the spokesman, Michael Henson, said. “He’s not bummed out. He’s absolutely 100 percent motivated to clear his name.”
Cycling has been at the center of doping claims for decades, especially after a 1998 bust at the Tour de France led to a rash of withdrawals and disqualifications. American Tyler Hamilton is serving a two-year ban for blood doping, and four of the top five finishers in last year’s Tour were kept out of this year’s race because of connections to a controversial Spanish doctor. The fifth, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, has been dogged by allegations for much of his career, although he has never failed a drug test.
Landis faded late in this year’s Tour but catapulted back into contention with a near-miraculous performance in the 17th of 20 stages, despite a debilitating hip injury. “Landis: A Leader for a New Generation,” proclaimed the Tour’s Web site after he eventually won the 2,272-mile race.
By last Wednesday, UCI had released the positive results of Landis’s “A” sample from his Stage 17 drug test, one of eight tests Landis said he took during the Tour. The “A” test showed a testosterone to epitestosterone ratio of 11-1; the permissible level is 4-1. The first test also detected synthetic testosterone, confirmed Henson.
Henson said he had not yet seen the results of the “B” sample test, and only knew the test was positive.
In the statement, Landis and his lawyer objected to the manner in which the results were released and promised to enlist “some of the leading medical and scientific experts” on their side.
While some scientists have expressed doubts about the logic of one-time testosterone use in the middle of an endurance event like the Tour, others in the anti-doping community have said that testosterone can provide quick benefits as a mood enhancer.