Must this happen every time that an American wins the Tour de France? Floyd Landis has been accused of having high levels of testosterone in his system during part of the race. Didn't Lance Armstrong face the same critcism when he was winning? It is very possible that Landis was taking testosterone injections, but I question whether he would really be dumb enough to take any such medicine. He would have to know that he would be scrutinized if he won. I just don't think race or cycling officials want an American to win; they probably have had a rough few years recently. Landis has asked that the "B" sample be tested to prove his innocence. Here is what was said regarding the second test:
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. "For us, the first one is already good."
Looks like the head of the world cycling body has already made up his mind regarding Landis. Here is what a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency had to say:
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."
I hope Landis proves them wrong with the second test, but I will be severly disappointed if his name is not cleared. (more here)
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