Positive Doping Test for Tour de France Winner Landis
July 27, 2006
The Swiss-based team said on its website that it was notified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Wednesday of "an unusual level of Testosteron/Epitestosteron ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France."
The US rider will ask for a counter analysis in the coming days, it added. The B sample test will be again carried out by France's national anti-doping laboratory at Chatenay-Malabry. Phonak said Landis would not ride until the matter had been clarified and said that if the B sample analysis confirmed the result of the A sample, the rider would be dismissed.
The test was done on the evening of his victory in the 17th stage of the Tour de France to Morzine when he managed to claim the mountainous stage victory after a 130km solo breakaway.
The 30-year-old American regained the yellow jersey two days after winning in Morzine and won the race overall in Paris on July 23.
Where is he?
The news comes as mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the American champion after he withdrew from two races in the Netherlands and Denmark the day after cycling's world governing body UCI announced a rider on the Tour had failed a doping test.
The ANP Dutch news agency said Landis pulled out of a race in Chaam on Wednesday evening after medical advice but this reason for not appearing was not confirmed by race organizers.
It was also discovered that Landis would not be coming to Thursday's Grand Prix Jyske Bank race, the Danish organizers said in a statement.
Landis did show top form however to win the Stiphout criterium in the Netherlands on Tuesday night.
Another blow for the race
This year's Tour was rocked by a drugs scandal on the eve of the race which saw 13 riders, including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich of Germany and Italy's Ivan Basso barred from taking part after they were implicated in a Spanish blood-doping ring.
It was the latest in a series of high-profile drugs controversies to tarnish cycling over the past decade, with the Tour de France being particularly hard hit.
Ullrich, the 1997 champion, and Giro d'Italia winner Basso both denied any involvement. Ullrich was subsequently sacked by his T-Mobile team.
T-Mobile also suspended his team mate Oscar Sevilla and sporting director Rudy Pevenage.
TV coverage
German public television station ZDF said Thursday it might cease broadcasting the Tour de France in reaction to Landis testing positive for testosterone.
"We signed a broadcasting contract for a sporting event, not a show demonstrating the performances of the pharmaceutical industry," ZDF's editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said.
"We are going to think about our future as broadcaster and maybe refuse to broadcast this event."