Floyd Tests Positive for Testosterone!
Jul 27th, 2006 | By Fredcaster | Category: GeneralWhen I first saw the article today my initial response was, “is this a joke? He can’t be that stupid!”
It’s not a joke.
According to every reliable news source in the world, Floyd Landis tested positive for testosterone after Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour de France (remember? the one where I said that he had “more tricks up his sleeve?”). This has even been confirmed by Team Phonak.
We will now await the test of his B sample, and if that tests positive too, I suppose he’ll be stripped of his yellow jersey. In the meantime, he has been suspended by Phonak and will be fired if the B sample tests positive too.
The Phonak web site has been impossible to reach all day (too much traffic, I suppose), but Velo News printed the following statement from Team Phonak:
The Phonak Cycling Team was notified yesterday by the UCI of an unusual level of Testosteron/Epitestosteron ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France.The Team Management and the rider were both totally surprised of this physiological result.
The rider will ask in the upcoming days 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.
In application of the Pro Tour Ethical Code, the rider will not race anymore until this problem is totally clear.
If the result of the B sample analysis confirms the result of the A sample the rider will be dismissed and will then pass the corresponding endocrinological examinations.
Please understand that we cannot at this time give you more detailed comments.
There’s a great story over on Sports Illustrated’s web site that I highly recommend. It gives you hope that perhaps Floyd did not actually partake of any added testosterone that isn’t already naturally occurring in his body. Like Austin Murphy, the writer of that article, I sorely want to believe Floyd’s denial of guilt, but only time will tell.
Like you my wife and I sat on the edge of our seats watching Floyd win, lose then win back the yellow jersey, and this news has us in total shock … doping has taken our sport and turned it into a joke … coworkers who no how much a cyclist and fan I am have had a lot of fun asking if I need to confess anything … I found this article ‘Cycling is no longer a valid sport’ (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19938963-2722,00.html) that seems to be reflect what the average person must feel about our sport … think I’ll go watch the neighbourhood kids race up and down the street to remind of the pure joy cycling is supposed to bring us.
With all this doping stories going on at the moment I started to think….
Landis climbed really well on stage 17 and this is being put down to high levels of testosterone
old wives tails – bald men have (naturally occuring) high testosterone levels…
I’m bald but am climbing like an asthmatic sloth at the moment – therefore are my testosterone levels low?
If my testosterone levels are low will my hair grow back ?
Can you tell it’s a quiet day at work….
No-way!!! If you were an habitual red light runner, but you knew in fact that a cop was waiting at the next red light, would you still run it? No way. No one is that stupid.
From what I have read, there are NO immediate benefits from testosterone “abuse”. On the other hand, many things like the pain from a bad hip or hitting the wall the day before can make the body produce testosterone.
In addition, this so-called “test” is not even close to reliable or credible. This is simply a tool for those who are tired of eating sour grapes and watching the Americans take cycling’s top honor 11 out of the last 21 years.
Sigh. Where to begin with this. First off there are no numbers released in all of this. In 2006 the ratio was dropped from 6:1 down to 4:1 even though it has been reported that their are people out there with a naturally occuring ratio higher than 4:1.
In some articles they reported that Floyd “bailed” on some of the post tour Crit races. Well he cannot ride as per the ProTour Ethical Code.
If the B sample is “positive” (meaning has a high ratio), then the next step for Floyd would be to see and endocrindologist to determine if it is just naturally occuring.
I have a hard time with some of the press in all of this and some of the comments made by people immediately damning Floyd especially those in high authority.
In any case Floyd is right this will never go away.
I for one believe that he didn’t take anything to purposely dope but this may be just Floyd and/or his thyroid/cortisone treatments for his hip have not helped.
In anycase I wish Floyd the best.
It’s just that … I’m reading some of the comments and while it’s really good to be a wishful thinker, you have to be fair.
If hearing about Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso made you angry and feel like “THIS SPORT HAS TO BE CLEANED UP”, then this should also make you angry.
In all likelihood – and I’ll apologise to all the optimists if I’m wrong about this – Landis flunked a drug test. The most likely reason is that he had masking agent failure.
And *if* his B-sample tests positive, too, then it’s time that he comes clean and opens the lid on the politics of pro cycling.
*That* would make him my hero!!