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Landis sample fails second test, could be stripped of Tour de France title
It was announced Saturday that Floyd Landis’ ‘B’ sample tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. According to CyclingNews.com, “Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry test (IRMS) had also been done, revealing the presence of exogenous testosterone (contained within, but originating from outside the body) in the sample.”
So, aside from the obvious fact that the UCI is going to push for a multi-year suspension of The Floyd, it looks as though the American is going to lose the 2006 Tour de France title. If the title is taken from Landis, it’ll go to Oscar Pereiro, who finished second to the ex-Phonak rider at the end of the event.
My thoughts? Aside from being disappointed by the audacity of these riders who try to pull the wool over everybody’s eyes, I don’t really care. There were some really dramatic stages this year — Phonak giving Pereiro the yellow jersey after a useless ‘defense’ where the Spaniard regained almost 30 minutes in the GC, Landis cracking spectacularly in the Alps, Landis going ape shit on the rest of the field the next day — and that’s what I’ll remember.
Pereiro can be the paper champion and be memorialized for that: the first rider ever to win the Tour who didn’t actually win the race. And I’m not saying Landis is or isn’t the ‘real’ champ either but, after all of the suspensions and hellfire that came down in the days before the start of the race, I wouldn’t be disappointed if the results of the 2006 Tour de France were voided and a blank space left in the annals.
Tough luck bro‘, but you’re involved in a sport with so many crooks and cheats that it’s difficult to take anything at face value. But whatever happens, your ride during Stage 17 will still go down as one for the ages.
1. Posted by Rainman | 4:36 pm, 5 August 2006
My original take on this was that when I saw the shots of Landis cracking and blowing up in the mountains, that he was done for.
Then, the next day he bounces back like superman and wipes the floor with his performance.
My immediate thoughts were … “wow, this guy must have an incredible hunger to win..”
Then when I read about the positive test I thought … “Aha! so that is how he came back so strong”.
According to the experts though, testosterone only has an effect when used long term. So it really doesn’t make any sense, because there were no positive results in the prior testings.
However, we will probably never know for sure.
The saddest thing about all this is that some athletes feel that they need to use any sort of performance enhancing illegal drugs to win.
That type of victory is a hollow one, imo.
R.