The Landis Case: Floyd speaks; Police guard home; McQuaid wants teams to pay, too; Skoda re-thinks Tour role

By Wire Services

Floyd Landis, whose Tour de France triumph was followed by a positive doping test, ripped UCI and WADA officials over the public release of his “B” sample in an interview with USA Today.

The newspaper posted comments Sunday on its website from the embattled U.S. cyclist after Saturday’s release of his test results, Landis saying he has been treated unfairly and cannot properly defend himself against doping accusations.

Landis tested positive, reportedly for synthetic testosterone, and showed a testosterone/epitestosterone ratio well above the level that triggers suspicion in a test after a dramatic stage 17 that pulled him from nearly out of contention to nearly in first place.

Landis said the media knew the result of each of his samples before he did, including the original July 27 revelation of the “A”-sample positive.

“I just got the information on the ‘A’ sample a day and half ago,” Landis told the newspaper. “I had to find out about the ‘B’ from reading it in the media.”

Landis cited another shamed U.S. hero, doping-positive 100m world-record co-holder Justin Gatlin, noting that Gatlin had known about his positive result for testosterone ratio for months before the news became public.

“I had only two days to react to mine,” Landis said. “(UCI president) Pat McQuaid said he had to release mine before the lab leaked it.” Landis defended his amazing stage 17 effort, saying the comeback was less of an oddity than the positive sample.

“I put in more than 20,000 kilometers of training for the Tour. I won the Tour of California, Paris-Nice and the Tour de Georgia. I was tested eight times at the Tour (de France), four times before that stage and three times after, including three blood tests,” Landis said. “Only one came back positive. Nobody in their right mind would take testosterone just once. It doesn’t work that way.”

The 30-year-old racer said his biggest mistake was reacting to media reports when the news broke, saying it gave an impression he was coming up with new explanations and excuses each day.

“I’ve been catching a lot of grief in the press: ‘Floyd has a new excuse, a new reason for what happened.’ This is a situation where I’m forced to defend myself in the media,” Landis said. “It would never have happened if UCI and WADA had followed their own rules.”

Landis stopped short of saying his sample was tainted to make him look positive, but did say, “There’s some kind of agenda there. I just don’t know what it is.”

Landis said he plans to undergo hip replacement surgery in about two weeks and will then prepare to make his case in a hearing before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the next month.

USA Cycling on Saturday handed the Landis case to USADA after receiving formal confirmation of the “B” sample positive from the ICU. Regarding the possibility that someone from Phonak, the team that fired him after Saturday’s “B” sample news broke, inadvertently or deliberately gave him synthetic testosterone, Landis said there was “zero chance” that happened.

“Something bad happened to me, but bicycle racing is the most beautiful sport in the world. I want to remain part of it.”
Agence France Presse

Police guarding Landis home
Floyd Landis’ gated California community is being guarded by several police officers because neighbors complained about snooping journalists, it was reported today.

Landis won the Tour de France this year, but was fired by his cycling team yesterday and may be stripped of his champion title after testing positive for doping. Landis has repeatedly denied using drugs.

Murrieta Police Department Sgt. Sean Hadden told The Press-Enterprise that three residents in Landis’ complex off Clinton Keith Road had complained about photographers “jumping through yards” around 2 a.m. yesterday.

Police officers were guarding inside and outside the gate Friday and again yesterday, the newspaper reported.

Murrieta City Manager Lori Moss said in a statement that she admired Landis’ accomplishment, but was concerned after Landis failed a second doping test. Moss said she spoke to the cyclist on Friday and said he thanked her for the “Welcome Home” signs put up in the city, the newspaper reported.

However, a city-sponsored celebration for Landis is currently on hold.
Associated Press

McQuaid calls for team sanctions
UCI president Pat McQuaid said Mondaythat team bosses to be punished along with riders amid the furor of the failed drugs test of Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

The 30-year-old American – who has been sacked by his Phonak team – tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone after a stunning victory in the 17th stage of last month’s Tour. And McQuaid believes that the only way to stamp out doping in the sport is for team bosses to take an equal share of the blame.

“It’s not just a question of image but of credibility,” said McQuaid. “Of some 300 tests carried out during the Tour there was only one positive test. The problem is that it was the winner. We’re considering carrying out an audit of top level cycling. Currently the riders are the only ones penalized. We have to see in what way the managers can also be.

“The answers are often in the hands of the sporting directors,” he noted. “They are the ones who can make the right choices.”
Agence France Presse

Skoda re-thinking role at Tour
One of the Tour de France’s main sponsors, Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, is reflecting on whether to continue with its four-year deal in the wake of the doping scandal that marred this year’s race.

“We will have to weigh up the effect of the scandal,” spokesman Jaroslav Cerny told AFP on Monday. “Generally we are content with the sponsorship.”

Skoda Auto’s sponsorship contract runs out in 2007 with a decision on its renewal expected by the end of this year, Cerny explained. The size of the contract has not be made public.

Sponsorship of the Tour has helped increase the biggest Czech car maker’s visibility in a number of key European markets, such as France, Italy and Spain, Cerny told Czech agency CTK on Monday.

During the first six months of the year, the Volkswagen group company, for example, increased its auto sales in France by 4.0 percent to 8200 compared with the same period in 2005, Cerny added.
Agence France Presse

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