Another hill to climb
PARIS — Now Floyd Landis turns to plan B.
Hours after his stirring Tour de France comeback win was cast into doubt Thursday by news of a high testosterone test, the American cyclist said he expects to prove his innocence.
That could happen if Landis' backup, or "B" sample, tests clean — meaning the entire test is considered negative. But even if Landis keeps the title, he expects the disgrace of doping will follow him for a long, long time.
"I think there's a good possibility I'll clear my name," Landis said. "Regardless of whether this happens or not, I don't know if this will ever go away."
The Switzerland-based Phonak team will ask for the "B" sample analysis in the next few days, manager John Lelangue said. It was not clear exactly when that will occur, but the International Cycling Union says it must be within 10 working days of the request.
In the meantime, Landis will wait.
"All I'm asking for is that I be given a chance to prove I'm innocent," he said Thursday via teleconference from Europe. "Cycling has a traditional way of trying people in the court of public opinion before they get a chance to do anything else."
Landis said he has no idea what may have caused his positive test for high testosterone following the Tour's 17th stage last week, in which he made his comeback charge.
Phonak suspended Landis after the ICU notified it Wednesday that he had an "unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone" when his test was taken last Thursday, the day he staked his comeback in the Alps.
"My immediate reaction was to look for the alcohol bottle," joked Landis, who's known to enjoy a beer on the Tour and said he drank whiskey with teammates to bury their sorrows after Landis nearly fell out of contention the day before his stage 17 charge.
Landis wrapped up the Tour win Sunday, keeping the title in U.S. hands for the eighth straight year. Lance Armstrong, who won the previous seven, was himself dogged for years by doping allegations that he vehemently denied — and were never proven by a positive test.
Armstrong was riding in RAGBRAI, an annual trek across Iowa that attracts thousands of bike riders. After finishing his ride Thursday, Armstrong said would wait to see what happened when his former U.S. Postal Service teammate got the results from his second sample.
"Until that happens," Armstrong said, "I don't have anything to say."
Second-place finisher Oscar Pereiro, who would become champion if Landis is not cleared, said he was in no mood to celebrate.
"Should I win the Tour now it would feel like an academic victory," Pereiro told The Associated Press at his home in Vigo, Spain. "The way to celebrate a win is in Paris, otherwise it's just a bureaucratic win."
Asked repeatedly what might have tripped his test, Landis refused to lay blame on any one thing. "As to what actually caused it on that particular day, I can only speculate," he said.
Landis had an exemption from the Tour to take cortisone shots for pain in his hip, which will require surgery for a degenerative condition, and was taking an oral medication for hyperthyroidism. He and his doctor were consulting with experts to see if those drugs might have thrown off his testosterone levels.Landis said he was still in Europe, but declined to say exactly where. "Not to be elusive, I have to figure out a way to get to the airport and get home," he said.UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani said Landis requested the "B" sample, which is not required by cycling's governing body."We are confident in the first (test)," Carpani said.Testosterone is included as an anabolic steroid on WADA's list of banned substances, and its use can be punished by a two-year ban.Testosterone can build muscle and improve recovery time when used over a period of several weeks, said Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. But if Landis had been a user, his earlier urine tests during the tour would have been affected, he said."So something's missing here," Wadler said. "It just doesn't add up."
