Posted on 08/01/2006 9:21:24 AM PDT by jdm
Tests performed on the cyclist Floyd Landiss initial urine sample showed that some of the testosterone in his body had come from an external source and was not produced by his system, according to a person at the International Cycling Union with knowledge of the results.
That finding contradicts what Landis has claimed in his defense since the disclosure last week that he had tested positive for an elevated ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone during the Tour de France.
During a news conference in Madrid on Friday, Landis said, We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case, but a natural occurrence. He explained that the testosterone levels throughout his career were natural and produced by my own organism.
Landis, 30, the third American to win the Tour, captivated fans with an improbable comeback. He provided the urine samples at the center of the doping inquiry after winning Stage 17 in the Alps with a long solo attack. That performance set up his victory, as he climbed to third place over all after struggling and plunging to 11th the day before.
His urine sample from that day was divided into A and B samples. Confirmation of the A sample result is needed for a doping violation to occur. If the B sample comes up negative, the case is dropped. But the finding disclosed yesterday, based on a more sophisticated test, shed new light on Landiss failure to pass his initial screening, and he could be subjected to punishment because he had a prohibited substance in his body.
If the B sample comes back positive, Landis will face a two-year suspension from the sport. He will also be stripped of his Tour de France title.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Thanks! I don't have time to read this now, but I'll definitely ping the TdF list to your post (and I'll catch up with it later).
Check out alfa6's post #40
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my Tour de France 2006 list.
Why does any athlete take the drugs when they know they're going to be tested? A bunch of guys have been busted in numerous sports recently for various drugs, performance enhancing and otherwise. The simple answer is they thought they were going to beat the test, either they were convinced that what they took wouldn't be detected or they took something they were sold as a "masking agent" that was supposed to clean up their sample. Then they failed the test and found out your average blackmarketeer is slightly less trustworthy than a used car salesman.
Dang you'er fast :-)
A little "LIGHT" reading for after work, eh
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Your link doesn't work, but I had posted a link to the same entry on Dr. Lowe's blog earlier this am over on the Floyd Landis Test Discussion thread. Worked fine early this am (7:00), but mine is also not working now. I have a feeling if you said got it from Megan at Instapundit this morning, they probably were overwhelmed & took it down. Dang - it was a good, simple explanation about how they differentiate between real & synthetic testosterone in the IRMS test. Don't suppose you can reconstruct it from memory?LOL. I know I can't!
The good Dr Lowe is probably the victim of an "Instalanche"
As far as reconstructing it from memory HAHAHAHAHA
I was doing good just to read it :-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
The same one that went after Lance Armstrong.
Don't rule out the possibility (and I'm just throwing stuff at walls now, not declaring anything) that Landis was taking a masking agent that for whatever reason didn't work that day. Or he was just dumb, or the lab screwed up. It's all up in the air.
Not always! :o)
I just happened to be online about the time you were. Thanks for the post...
Anyways, we'll see what comes out of this. The other American athelete (the 100m world champion dude) is also facing drug allegations, and in his case he is claiming that someone sabotaged him by putting a testesterone cream on him during a massage. Who knows! However if i was a top-echelon athelete (or the manager/coach/dad of one) I would definitely protect that athlete as if he/she was a veritable walking Fort Knox! After the whole Nancy Kerrigan affair (where she was attacked by that other skater - the has=been) it is evident that top-sports is more competitive than a hyena scrapple for the last scrap of Zebra - and it apparently gets as competitive outside the competition itself.
Athletes need to seriously take better care of themselves, and I am not talking about balanced diets here! Otherwise it will be all too easy for 'stuff' to happen. Particularly in long-distance races (be they cycling events or marathons), or in high-octane short-distance races (the 100m sprints).
If this stands, the racing community will assume Armstrong was guilty, too...but got away with it.
Good point! It's a shame, but people have to consider it.
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