[Heidi]

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."

 

[MMcG]

Oh man, say it ain't so. I hope the B sample analysis proves false.

Ugh.

 

[binary visions]

Ahh f**k.

 

[Heidi]

Apparently that is why he didn't show up for the two crits he was scheduled to do...because the Team had been notified of his positive.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Well that sucks.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Damn! I dont know whether to curse the French or say, "they are all on it"... again.

 

[peter6061]

This is ridiculous. When will it end?

 

[MMcG]

Man this is really sad if it proves to be true.

Damnit!

 

[MMcG]

Probably why Discovery didn't go after Floyd and went for Levi instead.

 

[golgiaparatus]

This is ridiculous. When will it end?

When a French rider wins the TDF. No! I didnt say that, that was the invisible man in my head.

Seriously I want to believe the riders, and I want to believe the UCI... but really, I dont know who to believe.

 

[McGRP01]

345

 

[MtnBikerChk]

wonderful

 

[Westy]

When a French rider wins the TDF. No! I didnt say that, that was the invisible man in my head.

Seriously I want to believe the riders, and I want to believe the UCI... but really, I dont know who to believe.

From what I understood the French liked Landis.

Normally I would laugh and call the doper a dumb fvcker but this one pisses me off. Even if the B-sample comes up negative no one will ever believe he was clean.

 

[Cant Climb]

Well, if it is bogus then Floyd/Phonak better have all their ducks in line and have some experts present for the testing of the B-sample.....if it is a set-up Floyd will go Postal on the UCI.....if he did it, i believe he will admit to it.....

 

[Mani_UT]

When a French rider wins the TDF. No! I didnt say that, that was the invisible man in my head.
.

That's funny. before they announced it I told my buddies that somehow, if it was Landis people would find a way to blame the French for Landis doping .

Lame.

Landis was probably doping (as was Moreau and just about anyone else anyway). He happened to get caught... too bad. They know the rules.

 

[Echo]

Maybe the top 4 will all get busted, and my prediction of Cadel winning the tour will come true!

 

[golgiaparatus]

Lame.

You dont know whats gong on. So far the French authorities have proven to be totally unprofessional (look athe the Astrana team), Vino could have won this year, but he wasnt able to because they suspended his team yet they have all proven that they were not guilty.

I expect that a lot of riders are doping and also that the UCI is being unprofessional and therefore more people are going to get busted... guilty and oitherwise. Seriously, I dont know who to believe.

 

[Cant Climb]

It's the whole culture and environment of doping in cycling that is lame.......it's impossible to clean up.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Holy chit. It will be a miracle if he keeps this lead, even if he doesn't they need to come up with a new color jersy for having big brass balls.!

Thats why his testosterone was high... he has "BIG BRASS BALLS"

 

[laura]

ok, maybe you guys can explain to me how this works. Why did they not figure out he was doping until after it was all over? I don't know anything about testing or doping strategies. Could he have started doping halfway through the thing? Did they just not test him until the very end? Why would they wait that late in the game to test?

 

[Hawkeye]

I read it was after stage 17 that he tested positive. My question is...........why didn't he test positive before that? And would a high level of testosterone help if it was injected in the middle of the race? I thought it took some time for this stuff to take effect.

 

[Heidi]

ok, maybe you guys can explain to me how this works. Why did they not figure out he was doping until after it was all over? I don't know anything about testing or doping strategies. Could he have started doping halfway through the thing? Did they just not test him until the very end? Why would they wait that late in the game to test?

They test the first, second, and a random of every stage. It takes a week for results and then they test the B sample.

 

[Wumpus]

Maybe he forgot to take the patch off:

German doctor Kurt Moosburger, who has looked after Jörg Jaksche (among others) for the past two years, has told dpa that he believes that performance enhancing drugs are "indispensable" for high level cycling

In a frank interview, Moosburger pointed to the average speeds of modern professional races, especially hard tours. "The average in last year's Tour was 41 kilometres per hour - that is incredible. You can do a hard Alpine stage without doping. But after that, the muscles are exhausted. You need - depending on your training conditions - up to three days in order to regenerate."

To help recover, testosterone and human growth hormone can be used. "Both are made by the body and are therefore natural substances," he said. "They help to build muscle as well as in muscle recovery."

Dr Moosburger explained how it was done. "You put a standard testosterone patch that is used for male hormone replacement therapy on your scrotum and leave it there for about six hours. The small dose is not sufficient to produce a positive urine result in the doping test, but the body actually recovers faster."

 

[Heidi]

I would be leary of sticking anything to my sac...if I had one.

 

[douglas]

I would be leary of sticking anything to my sac...if I had one.

actually I..............err, nevermind

 

[OGRipper]

Goddammit!!! Is this going to happen every time now?

Does anyone know anything about the test? Is like the old EPO test where they tag you if you are above a certain level, even if they can't really know you were doping? Some people have freaky hematocrit levels that failed the old EPO test - is the same possible here? Is testosterone taken for performance reasons synthetic or otherwise different from the natural stuff?

I guess what I'd like to know is, will a positive B sample leave no doubt?

 

[Joe Pozer]

Meh, Landis should've hired Lance's doctors.

I enjoy viewing TDF so this won't keep me from watching. I pretty much assume that every top rider in the peloton is doping.

Cycling is no different than any other sport where the pressure to stay on top leads to cheating.

 

[Westy]

Is testosterone taken for performance reasons synthetic or otherwise different from the natural stuff?

I guess what I'd like to know is, will a positive B sample leave no doubt?

This all explains why Floyd seemed so pissed at the end of the stage, 'roid rage.

I bet he was just sucking on Lance's cancerous nut so the testosterone is probably natural.

 

[DBR X6 RIDER]

Must have been a pretty potent beer he had the night before that stage.

 

[rooftest]

This all explains why Floyd seemed so pissed at the end of the stage, 'roid rage.

I noticed that - he threw his water bottle at someone!

 

[Wumpus]

Does anyone know anything about the test? Is like the old EPO test where they tag you if you are above a certain level, even if they can't really know you were doping? Some people have freaky hematocrit levels that failed the old EPO test - is the same possible here? Is testosterone taken for performance reasons synthetic or otherwise different from the natural stuff?

Testosterone and epitestosterone are both synthesised by the body, so that in urine the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone is <6.
If a sport competitor takes testosterone as a performance enhancing drug, the ratio is increased above 6.

http://www.rcpamanual.edu.au/sections/pathologytest.asp?s=33&i=601

 

[robdamanii]

Why exactly would he have taken this stuff if he KNEW he was going to go out and go for it that day, and there would be a possibility of being tested?

Doesn't make much sense, but then again, none of this doping crap makes sense to me (as a non-competitor).

 

[OGRipper]

From cyclingnews.com:

"The World Anti-Doping Agency has lowered the limit for the maximum T/E level from 6:1 to 4:1. Some athletes have naturally high levels, and can prove this through a series of tests."

 

[The Toninator]

Why exactly would he have taken this stuff if he KNEW he was going to go out and go for it that day, and there would be a possibility of being tested?

Doesn't make much sense, but then again, none of this doping crap makes sense to me (as a non-competitor).

because they know they can get away with it.


< edit > Most of the time.

 

[James]

From Fark.com:

 

[Heidi]

Floyd is supposed to be on Jay Leno tomorrow night!!!!!!

 

[Cant Climb]

If Floyd did it he'll admit to it and take responsibility.......you wont see any BelieveFloyd.org websites....

 

[Zutroy]

If Floyd did it he'll admit to it and take responsibility.......you wont see any BelieveFloyd.org websites....

They're saying that he told his mom he didn't.

So we'll see, but it seems to me that most of the world has forgotten that a positive A test doesn't mean guility, there are many times when an A is prositive and a B is neg. Plus in this case, like the Hct test, there are riders naturally over the limit, and they do get exceptions to the rule.


FLOYD SPEAKS TO SI

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/austin_murphy/07/27/landis.react/index.html?cnn=yes

 

[Heidi]

Good article, thanks for the link.

 

[Cant Climb]

They're saying that he told his mom he didn't.

So we'll see, but it seems to me that most of the world has forgotten that a positive A test doesn't mean guility, there are many times when an A is prositive and a B is neg. Plus in this case, like the Hct test, there are riders naturally over the limit, and they do get exceptions to the rule.

In his 3 wins in the spring Lim said he was only going 90% based on his training numbers and "we haven't seen anything yet"......i beleive him flat out. This is going to get ugly though......