New Blow to Cycling As Tour Winner Landis Tests Positive

The 30-year-old American -- who was also sacked by his Phonak team following the announcement -- had failed a drugs test after the 17th stage of the Tour de France which he had won to get his way back into the race just a day after he had faded out of contention.

However the sport's governing body UCI revealed on Saturday that the B sample had simply confirmed the initial findings - though Landis's camp had already accepted that it would.

"UCI communicates that the analysis of the sample B of Floyd Landis's urine has confirmed the result of an adverse analytical finding notified by the Anti-doping laboratory of Paris on 26th July, following the analysis of the sample A," said a UCI statement.

"In accordance to the Anti-doping rules, the Anti-doping Commission of the UCI will request that the USA Cycling Federation open a disciplinary procedure against the rider."

Landis, though, protested his innocence and announced on his website that he would appeal against the findings.

"Landis will pursue the appeal procedures established by the UCI in order to overturn the laboratory results. It is expected that the matter will now be referred to USA Cycling.

Tour winner maintains innocence

"Landis, who has not used performance-enhancing substances, maintains his innocence in this case and believes that he will be vindicated of the doping charges."

Landis's attorney, Howard Jacobs, has begun preparing the case for arbitration. If the case follows the normal protocol, it is expected to be resolved within four to six months.

"At this point in time, I am waiting to receive the full laboratory documentation for the B test. In consultation with some of the leading medical and scientific experts, we will prove that Floyd Landis's victory in the 2006 Tour de France was not aided in any respect by the use of any banned substances," said Jacobs.

Landis and Jacobs will also argue against the UCI's premature release of the A sample findings as well as the anonymous leak of the carbon-isotope test results to the New York Times on July 31.

Legal team complains of bias

"I call on the UCI to start following its own rules and to allow this process to proceed without the further taint of public comment by UCI officials," added Jacobs.

"The anti-doping process must be free from the perception that sports federations and anti-doping authorities, who hold great political and financial sway over sport, are attempting to influence the outcome of a pending case by issuing inappropriate public comments."

Christophe Prudhomme, the Tour de France race director, said he was not in the least bit surprised by the B sample findings but added that responsibility also lay with the American's team, Phonak, who have had a series of high profile drugs cases in the past few years including Landis' compatriot Tyler Hamilton.

The soiled yellow jersey

"The body blow came last week," he told reporters. "We know that virtually the whole time the B sample confirms the initial result. My feeling is that it is a real waste but also that we have to battle really hard against drug taking."

"We cannot tolerate the yellow jersey being soiled."

"Taking the Landis case into account, it is imperative that the managers, the team directors, the doctors or indeed those who pretend to be doctors are also punished," added Prudhomme, echoing comments made by athletics governing body the IAAF earlier this week about the group surrounding athletics world 100m joint record holder Justin Gatlin, who also tested positive for testosterone.

Landis had said prior to the B sample result that he would go to the limit to prove his innocence. "I ask not to be judged and much less to be sentenced by anyone," Landis said over a week ago.

"I will proceed to undergo all of these tests" to show the levels "are absolutely natural and produced by my own organism", he promised on Friday.

The American added that he wished to state "categorically that my Tour win was exclusively due to many years of training and dedication" to his sport.

"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.

"I was the strongest guy. I deserved to win, and I'm proud of it."