Tour de France

[Ronder]

Yep the Doc says-

"Landis has been using cortisone -- approved by UCI -- for his arthritic hip, and corticosteroids can cause this kind of imbalance. Even if the B sample tests positive this is going to take a long time to sort out for exactly that reason. "

[Demi]

Nice! Armstrong used the same thing when it did come up, because of his illness. *shrug* Whatever, really makes no difference to me. Some will believe, some won't.

[Minniman]

The following article is truncated from the longer original:

Question is why when he knew he'd be caught

My first reaction to the news that Floyd Landis had returned a positive test during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between St Jean de Maurienne and Morzine was one of extreme sadness, and the huge question: "Why?"

The organisers had sent out a clear message that dopers would not be tolerated, even though those sent away left protesting their innocence, and still do. This year's Tour seemed "clean" as riders had good days and bad, something which doesn't always happen if the drugs are kicking in. Landis himself collapsed on stage 16 to La Toussuire in the Alps and then, rehydrated overnight, he won the fateful stage 17 to Morzine by almost six minutes.

There are many questions to be answered before Landis is condemned. The first is why win the stage knowing that the winner is automatically drugs-tested and when finding unusual testosterone levels in a testing laboratory is an easy thing to do? Landis would have also been tested at least three times previously as race leader, too, and these presumably have been negative as only stage 17 is under discussion.

The quiet but determined American was genuinely happy when he finished at Morzine. He arrived punching the air. Landis has never failed a drugs test in his career and this season was enjoying his best run of victories yet, all of which would have carried compulsory drugs tests. His wins in America and France since February have all been achieved despite a dying femur bone which will mean a replacement hip soon.

The Tour de France organisers have been "saddened" by yesterday's revelations, but the second test has still to confirm the first. There is a possibility that Landis has over-produced testosterone and, if so, I hope he will be completely vindicated.

Full Story at Telegraph.uk

[Minniman]

Testosterone Effects Not Immediate

At one point in the three-week race, it seemed as though Landis was petering out. But "an injection of testosterone is not some sort of miracle, immediate boost like an amphetamine or stimulant," Collins says. "Athletes who use testosterone use it over a fairly long course and the benefit accumulates over a period of time."

Testosterone would not account for his comeback, Collins stresses.

"A single shot of testosterone would provide little or no benefit."

John Eliot, PhD, a professor of human performance at Rice University in Houston, and the author of "Overachievement," agrees with Collins.

"The likelihood [that he used illegal substances] seems small to me," he tells WebMD.

Experts: Possible Explanations for Landis' Testosterone Levels

[Demi]

Or it could be from something the "experts" know nothing about!

Why do it? Maybe because prior to that he had *zero* chance of winning without it! It was that, or end up just another biker that finished somewhere in the middle and after surgery possibly not even ride again. Who knows, I'm leaning towards him being cleared though, because that's the way it works.

[Ronder]

Enjoy reading-

http://web.mit.edu/hudson/www/ttypes.html#esters

[Minniman]

Or it could be from something the "experts" know nothing about!

That is a possibility, but he knew he would be tested if he won the stage; it was a mandatory test.

Landis had won the Tour de Georgia and the Tour of California, and he was tested for those races. He was also tested prior to and during the Tour de France on every stage he was in the yellow. One blast of steroids or even just added testosterone would do little to nothing, so the question of why is a valid one.

Maybe he had good sex with his wife, and he wanted more after the win!

That could get his testosterone up!

Minniman

[Minniman]

Who knows, I'm leaning towards him being cleared though, because that's the way it works.

Not in bicycling.

Top riders Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, Francisco Mancebo, Tyler Hamilton, and Richard Virenque have all been caught with substances or have been implicated in blood doping schemes and banned for partial, whole, or multiple seasons.

The Comunidad Valenciana team was withdrawn from this season's Tour of Spain. Roberto Heras was stripped of his win in last years Tour of Spain and banned for two years after failing an EPO test.

Bud Selig isn't in charge.

[Demi]

Ah, I was going by the comments of a member of the, I believe olympic drug testing council, not sure exact name, who claimed the bicycling drug tests were rather lax. Since the bikers were given an hour post race un chaperoned to do as they please, as well as days pre-race to do as they please, which would include any way around drug tests. I'm not big into cycling, just from what I've heard it's fairly tough, but there are glaring weaknesses.

[PurpleMustReign]

Maybe he had good sex with his wife, and he wanted more after the win!

Or maybe his wife told him, "Win and you get good sex." That would make me win the Decathalon if my wife said that.

[jackal]

They blamed Lance Armstrong for doing this several times
and could never prove it. God the french are a bunch of weenies
the must be 49er fans

[Ronder]

MADRID, Spain — Floyd Landis said the high testosterone levels that caused him to fail a drug test at the Tour de France are the result of his natural metabolism — not doping of any kind — and he will undergo tests to prove it.

"We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case but a natural occurrence," Landis said.

But on Friday he was adamant that the reading is the result of his natural physiology.

"I would like to make absolutely clear that I am not in any doping process," Landis said. "I ask not to be judged by anyone, much less sentenced by anyone."

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

[Demi]

And Bonds, McGwire, etc etc just have naturally high levels of HGH and anabolic steroids!

Let me use the same thing others used to defend him, "Why didnt this show up in other tests then" ESPECIALLY if it's natural! If he's using something, that' exactly why it didnt show up, he wasnt, or didnt, use it before

[jackal]

If they had more crashes like the one where the guy flipped
over the guard rail I would watch more highlights of the tour
I quess. Bottom line is I dont care about soccer or Tour De France.

[Minniman]

NEW YORK - Some of the testosterone found in Tour de France winner Floyd Landis' "A" sample is from an external source and not his body's, the New York Times said on Tuesday, quoting an unidentified International Cycling Union official.

The carbon isotope test on the first of Landis' two urine samples taken after his 17th stage win in last month's tour contains synthetic testosterone, said the official, with knowledge of the results from France's Chatenay-Malabry antidoping laboratory.

The results, if confirmed by Landis' B sample, which the newspaper said the laboratory has agreed to test later this week, could make Landis the first Tour champion to be stripped of his title.

The 30-year-old American, who could also be banned from the Tour for two years, has protested his innocence to the UCI.