Tour De France

A Frenchman heads an arbitration panel to review the Floyd Landis case and defends an incompetent French lab that was selected and paid by the French-run Tour. The result: the French strip an American of the title to "their" event. SHOCKING!

Looks like it's time for a new real international bike race somewhere else where drug testing is done properly and fairly. The French have proven they can't do it.

To be clear here: I don't know whether Landis is guilty or not. I do believe that, based on the facts as reported, there was more than reasonable doubt to believe he was innocent.

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Cyclist Landis Stripped of Tour Title
By EDDIE PELLS – 2 hours ago

PARIS (AP) — Floyd Landis lost his title. The anti-doping system that did him in received a warning.

Arbitrators voted to strip the championship from the 2006 Tour de France winner Thursday, upholding the results of a test that showed Landis used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory.

But the decision, which bans Landis from cycling through Jan. 30, 2009, also spelled out the numerous problems with the system and the French lab that analyzed Landis' urine.

Not all the criticism came in the scathing dissent written by arbitrator Chris Campbell.

"If such practises continue, it may well be that in the future, an error like this could result in the dismissal" of a positive finding by the lab, wrote Patrice Brunet and Richard McLaren in the majority opinion.

Landis seized on these points to claim he is still the rightful winner of the race, and that he was nothing more than a pawn in a bigger game that led to the arbitration. He has a month to decide whether he will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport — his last line of appeal.

He didn't feel he'd get a fair shot there, either.

"I have to assess whether a system that corrupt is worth subjecting myself to again," Landis told ESPN.com. "I don't have any reason to believe that CAS is any more sincere."

In an earlier statement, Landis said "I am innocent, and we proved I am innocent."

"This ruling is a blow to athletes and cyclists everywhere," Landis said. "For the Panel to find in favor of USADA when, with respect to so many issues, USADA did not manage to prove even the most basic parts of their case shows that this system is fundamentally flawed."

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart applauded the decision.

"Today's ruling is a victory for all clean athletes and everyone who values fair and honest competition," Tygart said.

In its 84-page decision, the majority found the initial screening test to measure Landis' testosterone levels — the testosterone-to-epitestosterone test — was not done according to World Anti-Doping Agency rules.

But the more precise and expensive carbon-isotope ratio analysis (IRMS), performed after a positive T-E test is recorded, was accurate, the arbitrators said, meaning "an anti-doping rule violation is established."

"As has been held in several cases, even where the T-E ratio has been held to be unreliable ... the IRMS analysis may still be applied," the majority wrote. "It has also been held that the IRMS analysis may stand alone as the basis" of a positive test.

The decision comes more than a year after Landis' stunning comeback in Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour, one that many people said couldn't be done without some kind of outside help.

Pat McQuaid, leader of cycling's ruling body, said rules dictate that Landis can be stripped of his Tour de France title immediately. That makes Oscar Pereiro, who finished second last year, the official winner.

"It's not a great surprise considering how events have evolved," McQuaid said. "He got a highly qualified legal team who tried to baffle everybody with science and public relations. And in the end, the facts stood up."

Landis insisted on a public hearing not only to prove his innocence, but to provide an unflinching look at USADA and the rules it enforces, and also establish a pattern of incompetence at the French lab where his urine was tested.

Although the panel rejected Landis' argument of a "conspiracy" at the Chatenay-Malabry lab, it did find areas of concern. They dealt with chain of command in controlling the urine sample, the way the tests were run on the machine, the way the machine was prepared and the "forensic corrections" done on the lab paperwork.

"... the Panel finds that the practises of the Lab in training its employees appears to lack the vigor the Panel would expect in the circumstances given the enormous consequences to athletes" of an adverse analytical finding, the decision said.

In Campbell's opinion, the Landis case should have been dismissed.

"The documents supplied by (the French lab) are so filled with errors that they do not support an Adverse Analytical Finding," Campbell wrote. "Mr. Landis should be found innocent."

In at least one respect, Landis was innocent, because the panel dismissed the T-E test. But in the arbitration process, a procedural flaw in the first test doesn't negate a positive result in follow-up tests.

In his dissent, Campbell latched onto the T-E ratio test, among other things, as proof that the French lab couldn't be trusted.

"Also, the T-E ratio test is acknowledged as a simple test to run. The IRMS test is universally acknowledged as a very complicated test to run, requiring much skill. If the LNDD couldn't get the T-E ratio test right, how can a person have any confidence that LNDD got the much more complicated IRMS test correct?"

It was confusion like this that resulted in the harsh review the anti-doping movement received during Landis' nine-day hearing in May.

But Landis also took his share of abuse, and ultimately, USADA still improved to 35-0 in cases it has brought before arbitration panels since it was founded in 2000.

More than the complex, turgid scientific evidence, the hearing will be remembered for the Greg LeMond brouhaha.

The hearing turned into a soap opera when the former Tour de France winner showed up and told of being sexually abused as a child, confiding that to Landis, then receiving a call from Landis' manager the night before his testimony threatening to disclose LeMond's secret to the world if LeMond showed up.

LeMond not only showed up, he also claimed Landis had admitted to him that he doped. That was the only aspect of the LeMond testimony the panel cared about.

"The panel concludes that the respondent's comment to Mr. LeMond did not amount to an admission of guilt or doping," the majority wrote.

Despite that, and many other flaws in the lab, Brunet and McLaren found Landis guilty.

The decision comes a full 14 months after Landis' final sprint down the Champs-Elysees. On Thursday, the street was bustling with businessmen and shoppers, not bicyclists and spectators.

"We waited too long," Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme said. "But it is an ending as we expected. It's over, and we never had any doubts."

Whilst not wishing to defend the French at all - they hate the fact they haven't won "their" bike race in years and Lance Armstrong did so well I have a few points not in that article.

In last years race Floyd Landis totally bonked (lost all power) in the Alps, he couldn't keep up with the pace and lost around 20 minutes on the day. The next day he ripped up the field and gained back the time lost, on the evening of the same day he had his failed drug test.

This is what happened, I don't care about the technicalities I am sure miracles can happen over night but unfortunately in the sport of professional cycling these miracles are 99% of the time chemically induced. There were suspicions at the time (and similar well founded suspicion in this years race when Vinokourov bonked then stormed the field).

For what it is worth I believe he did cheat, what astounds me is that it takes them 14 months to declare a winner

So how exactly do they go about getting the yellow jersey back? Isn't that the "trophy" that the Tour de France winner gets? I'd wipe my ass with it and then hand it to the frenchies.

ps. he totally cheated though

pss. Lance was cheating the whole time to, but at least he's been smart enough to not get caught.

One time I rode my bike from Red Hook Park to Bensonhurst.Try that some time, why don't you.

supermanox wrote:

So how exactly do they go about getting the yellow jersey back? Isn't that the "trophy" that the Tour de France winner gets? I'd wipe my ass with it and then hand it to the frenchies.

It may also be worth noting that even with Landis disqualified a Frenchman is still not the winner Oscar Pereiro came 2nd (or 1st man this is confusing ) who is Spanish...

The circumstances in the race itself were suspicious. That doesn't make him guilty.

I don't see how you can convict anyone when the evidence is tainted and the lab is incompetent. Incompetence is not a "technicality". Competence in testing is integral to justice. If we allowed into our courts the test results for drug, DNA, ballistics or other kinds of tests that were done in a slipshod manner, imagine how many innocent people would be convicted? Other countries and the international arbitration panel apparently have much lower standards. That's unfortunate.

supermanox wrote:

pss. Lance was cheating the whole time to, but at least he's been smart enough to not get caught.

The hell? Just because he won it seven times in a row, he's automatically cheating? Um, okay.

I don't understand any argument based upon the premise that the French are out to get Floyd Landis because he is lucky enough not to be French.

Surely the French were more outraged that Lance Armstrong won this silly race 7 times than they were that this huckleberry Landis won it once. Why didn't they frame Armstrong? Or did the French only just now perfect their "framing" technique?

Not to get into a conspiracy theory discussion too much, but maybe the French knew that Lance was bringing in additional excitement? I don't agree with a framing anyway, but if there was that'd be my thought.

STUN.Ryan wrote:

Lance was bringing in additional excitement?

The Gestapo brought additional "excitement" to Paris. That doesn't mean the French wanted them there.

Damon Albarn wrote:

The Gestapo brought additional "excitement" to Paris. That doesn't mean the French wanted them there.

Wow, taste the flawed argument.

Last I checked, Lance Armstrong wasn't gassing Jews.

That I know of.

Damon Albarn wrote:

I don't understand any argument based upon the premise that the French are out to get Floyd Landis because he is lucky enough not to be French.

Who was making that argument? I must have missed that. But hey, what's a Friday without a straw man argument?

I don't think the French weren't out to get anyone. It does seem though that the French judge, who acknowledged the labs' incompetence, did have something of an agenda to protect the French race management and lab.

Quote :

In last years race Floyd Landis totally bonked (lost all power) in the Alps, he couldn't keep up with the pace and lost around 20 minutes on the day. The next day he ripped up the field and gained back the time lost, on the evening of the same day he had his failed drug test.

I recall reading something about the synthetic testosterone that he tested positive for not being the sort of thing that would give you an instant "boost" of some sort.

Quote :

Last I checked, Lance Armstrong wasn't gassing Jews.

You made me spew on my monitor... and I wasn't even drinking anything.

whodeygal wrote:

Wow, taste the flawed argument.

Last I checked, Lance Armstrong wasn't gassing Jews.

That I know of.

Your point would be an excellent one had I been attempting to morally equate Lance Armstrong with the Gestapo.

Rather than taking the time to attempt to explain my original intent, let us just say that you certainly schooled me with your rebuttal! Are you a Trial Lawyer?

meathorse wrote:

I recall reading something about the synthetic testosterone that he tested positive for not being the sort of thing that would give you an instant "boost" of some sort.

But a blood transfusion would and if that blood contained lets say synthetic testosterone then...

Also, I don't believe Lance cheated, he set his whole year around winning le tour, skipping other races "just" to win the big one.

Damon Albarn wrote:

Your point would be an excellent one had I been attempting to morally equate Lance Armstrong with the Gestapo.

No, I get what you're saying. If it wasn't a direct moral equation, it was at least an inadvertent one. You said that the Gestapo had caused "excitement" in Paris and that the French wanted them gone. But, the uneasy excitement that the Gestapo brought to France was directly tied to the fact that the Gestapo was practicing genocide to appease a megalomaniac. On the other hand, Lance caused uneasy excitement that the French wanted to be rid of because he was damn good at what he did, the bastard. Hardly in the same league. That's what I meant when I said it was a flawed argument.

Damon Albarn wrote:

Rather than taking the time to attempt to explain my original intent, let us just say that you certainly schooled me with your rebuttal! Are you a Trial Lawyer?

You'd think so, wouldn't you? Alas, no. I'm just sharp with the word work. It's been suggested, but I kind of hate lawyers.

whodeygal wrote:

I'm just sharp with the word work.

Not to mention extremely modest.

Don't get me wrong from my "Lance cheated" comment. I'm a big fan and have nothing but respect for the man. I don't think he "cheated" in the same ways that these other people have been caught doing, he's obviously been tested like crazy, but again the testers are always behind in the technology race. My biggest problem with how he won the races was the team approach. Granted it was entirely legal from a rules standpoint, but he would surround himself with specialists whom had no interest in or chance of winning the race. He didn't have to carry any equipment on his bike, ie.....water, because he had a guy whose job was to ride with him and give him water when he needed it, he never got caught in the big wrecks because his group was always watching out for him. This doesn't take away from the fact that he pedaled his bike faster than everyone else at the end of the race, I acknowledge that.

He is still in my mind one of the greatest athletes in their sports of all time.

The French will never be happy until they can discredit Lance's wins, but he has all of the passed drug tests to prove his case, it just seems a tad fishy that everyone else on the tour was doping and still couldn't beat Lance when he was clean.

Damon Albarn wrote:

Not to mention extremely modest.

No, just old enough to not be ashamed to toot my own horn. If I'm not willing to do it, I can't expect anyone else to do it either, now can I?

Quote :

My biggest problem with how he won the races was the team approach.

But that's not Lance-specific. That's how all the big names run that race. There is one "talent," and their sponsors build teams around them, so that all the talent has to do is focus on the race. When riders were disqualified from this year's race, nine times out of ten the entire team pulled out too, because their talent was gone.

I mean, if you can contend that doping in major sports isn't a big deal because "everyone does it," why doesn't that apply here? If it can't be shot, snorted, swallowed, transfused, or taken in via osmosis, it doesn't count?

I will agree with you that the French will likely never stop trying to discredit Lance's wins. It's sadly telling. They've tested the man ten ways to Sunday, he's passed all of his tests, and still it's impossible to say "He won, congratulations," and get on with it. Talk about sour grapes.

I'm shocked this many people have an opinion on cycling.

Yea, 2 pages. I'm bored

It's not the cycling that attracts people... it's the drugs!