Floyd Landis Rumored To Be The 'Postive Test' at TdF by European Papers

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) -- While the cyclist who tested positive for doping at the Tour de France won't be identified until backup tests are complete, it does not appear to be any member of USA Cycling -- including champion Floyd Landis.

The International Cycling Union said Wednesday that an unidentified cyclist turned in a positive doping test during the Tour, widening the scandal that gripped this year's race before it began.

His name, team and nationality won't be released until the testing process is completed, including the analysis of a backup sample.

But the sport's governing body did say the rider's team and national federation were notified, as well as national and world anti-doping authorities. USA Cycling has not been contacted by UCI, spokesman Andy Lee said.

Floyd might have withdrawn from those post TdF races because he's about to get an operation on his hip.

i feel like they [usa cycling] would almost have to say that until the backup tests are done. i hope above hope that its not landis but im not going to hold my breath. this is after all is said and done still cycling.

Why can't the world give it a rest and accept the fact the USA dominates this sport?

Things are not looking good. This will destroy faith in the sport if it plays out...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/27/D8J4BU900.html

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/27/060727125919.aeuhub3r.html

Unfortunately it looks extremely suspicious. He suddenly has such hip pain he cannot ride in these crits but he was able to endure the pain during the tour? Seems like a lame excuse to me. More like he was travelling with the team doctor to the labs to witness the testing of the B sample.

This will be a huge huge blow to Cycling having the winner disqualified. Kind of like the whole Heras thing. Won Spain but then was found to have doped after.

Man talk about a career at the highest level then the biggest drop ever. Guess this explains his miraculous ride the day he juiced!!!!

the sport of doping?

Did you guys forget? This is the same dman thing they did to Lance the week after the Tour, thing about lance was he always scheduled nothing afterwards.

This thing ridiculous if I won the Tour, I wouldn't be racing, would you?

Now MSNBC is saying the same thing in its "Breaking News" section at the top of the main page

According to a report I saw this morning, trying to find the link, Floyd actually races with a Spanish license, so I'm not sure USA Cycling would have been contacted.

IT'S LANDIS:

Phonak confirms Landis positive

The Phonak team has confirmed the speculation that Floyd Landis returned a positive A sample after his win in stage 17 of the Tour de France. "The Phonak Cycling Team was notified yesterday by the UCI about an unusual level of Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France," said the team in a statement. "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."

to the poster that asked if we would be racing after winning the tour. these criteriums pay big money to the yellow jersey holder just to start the races. floyd gets 50k+ at each race. this is the only reason to continue racing. lance had so much $ near the end that he skipped some crits.

man i hope it ain't landis. this is terrible.

It's Landis, stage 17 was the stage to Morzine.No wonder that he rode so fantastic that day.

LONDON (Reuters) - Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has given a positive drugs test for the male sex hormone testosterone, his Phonak team said on Thursday.

"The Phonak Cycling Team was notified yesterday by the UCI of an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France," Phonak said in a team statement.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Eurosport - FL - 27/07/2006 16:12

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>Landis pulls out of Dutch race

>Tour rider tests positive

Speculation shrouds the Tour de France after it emerged on Thursday that the rider who failed a doping test was a big name competitor. The International Cycling Union publicised the failed test on Wednesday night but the identity of the culprit still remains unknown.

First details of the debacle appeared in Danish paper Ekstra Bladet after the American pulled out of a criterium race due this Thursday, one day after declaring himself forfeit for another race in the Netherlands on Wednesday without explaining his decision.

Ekstra Bladet claims that the failed test showed traces of a stimulant and was taken at the end of last Thurday's Stage 17 through the Alps to Morzine, won in dramatic fashion by race winner Floyd Landis after a breath-taking 130-kilometre breakaway.

Reports in England suggest that the stimulant in question was testosterone, while The Times makes clear reference to Landis.

Italian newspaper La Gazzeta dello Sport says that the positive test occurred during the final week of racing and involved an important rider "high up in the classification".

Following the UCI declaration on Wednesday night, president Pat McQuaid said: “I will say that I am extremely angry and feel very let down by this. The credibility of the sport is at stake. The rider, his federation and his team have been informed of the situation.”

Cycling Federations from Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the US have all denied that the scandal involves one of their registered riders.

McQuaid is also quoted on the Italian Tuttobici website as saying: "It is the worst possible scenario."

Clearly, the worse possible scenario for a Tour that was deemed "clean" following the break of the Operacion Puerto scandal, which saw nine Tour riders suspended, including favourites Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich, would be a positive drugs test returned by race winner Landis.

No comment has been made by Landis or his team Phonak, however, and for the time being the whole imbroglio is clad in circumstantial evidence.

Landis's team-mates Koos Moerenhout and Robert Hunter told Dutch news agency ANP that the reason behind Landis's withdrawal from two criterium races is due to pain in the 30-year-old's hip.

The American is due to have a hip-replacement operation later in the summer and reportedly left his hotel in Eindhoven to seek a consultation with his doctor in Germany.

wait Lemond where are you now? Praising this "clean" tour and this rider that you loved so much....so wait Landis was clean and Armstrong was dirty according to Lemond...oops

he tested for highlevels of testosterone because of his huge balls....

b sample wrote:

he tested for highlevels of testosterone because of his huge balls....

So Lance would have tested on the low end then?

Perhaps this is the reason he broke up with Ms. Crow.