We were all amazed by Floyd Landis' ride in Stage 17 of this year's Tour de France. Now we learn that he tested positive for excessive testosterone in a sample taken immediately after that stage. According to his team, Landis will "ask for the counter analysis to prove either that this result is coming from a natural process or that this is resulting from a mistake in the confirmation." Here is the mother angle from ESPN:
Arlene Landis, his mother, said Thursday that she wouldn't blame her son if he was taking medication to treat the pain in his injured hip, but "if it's something worse than that, then he doesn't deserve to win."
"I didn't talk to him since that hit the fan, but I'm keeping things even keel until I know what the facts are," she said in a phone interview from her home in Farmersville, Pa. "I know that this is a temptation to every rider but I'm not going to jump to conclusions ... It disappoints me."
One of our commenters raised this possibility right after the stage. I am sad to see that commenter's suspicions appear to have been justified.
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1. Posted by DannyNoonan on July 27, 2006 @ 9:48 | Permalink
How strange that his mother, who I believe is a practicing menonite, would use the term "hit the fan."
2. Posted by teppof on July 27, 2006 @ 10:18 | Permalink
Boy: These types of scandals need to be rooted out - gives cycling a bad reputation. My guess is that Landis is guilty, and he knows it, and he'll disappear from the cycling scene.
3. Posted by Larry on July 27, 2006 @ 11:08 | Permalink
Well, if you call everyone a cheater, you're bound to be right at least once in a while.
I gotta say I'm pretty disappointed. You can see why he would do it: probably his last chance to win the Tour. Sad.
4. Posted by Jeremy Telman on July 27, 2006 @ 12:57 | Permalink
Ugh! So disappointing!
As Danny pointed out, Arlene Landis's response is even more surprising than the doping. And I agree with Larry that "Anon" should get no credit for calling this one correctly. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Remember Tyler Hamilton? He broke his collarbone in the first stage of the 2003 Tour. He went on to win one of the mountain stages in a Landis-like solo breakaway and finished 4th that year. The following year, he was caught up in a doping scandal and suspended for two years. He still denies any improper conduct.
Why do they do it (if they do it)? I have three working theories:
a. Everybody does it and the competitions are to see who can go the fastest without getting caught doping.
b. Their managers dope them without telling them (although I don't think that would work with blood doping, which, as I understand it, involves infusions).
c. As Larry suggests, desparation. If so, sad indeed.
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