Can I Call Them Or What!?

THe American winner of the Tour de France has been notified that a blood sample of his has shown an "unusually high level of testosterone.

The Swiss-based Phonak team said it was notified by the UCI on Wednesday that Landis' sample showed "an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone" when he was tested after stage 17 of the race last Thursday.

Landis made a remarkable comeback in that Alpine stage, racing far ahead of the field for a solo win that moved him from 11th to third in the overall standings. He regained the leader's yellow jersey two days later.

Landis rode the Tour with a degenerative hip condition that he has said will require surgery in the coming weeks or months.

….

Phonak said Landis would ask for an analysis of his backup "B" sample "to prove either that this result is coming from a natural process or that this is resulting from a mistake."

"The team management and the rider were both totally surprised of this physiological result," the Phonak statement said.

Landis has been suspended by his team pending the results. If the second sample confirms the initial finding, he will be fired from the team, Phonak said.

Ahem. As I mentioned.

UPDATE: New York Times coverage. As they point out unless and until the "B" sample tests positive, this is not yet proof of anything at all. Even Landis' mother points out that Armstrong was given a rough time over allegations that proved to be false.

• 

  By crosspatch, Thursday, 27 July , 2006 @ 11:25 am

  If I sat all day on one of those sculpted rocks they call a racing seat, I would probably have elevated testosterone levels too as every single bit I had would have been squeezed out of where it normally resides!

• 

  By Roland Hesz, Friday, 28 July , 2006 @ 1:03 am

  But we know that the NYT is an unreliable source, they are probably lying now too

  Landis has disappeared, his manager too.
  And it seems - according to the media - that the second sample proved positively he took forbidden substances.

  Let’s see the end of it.

Other Links to this Post

1. Blue Crab Boulevard » Blog Archive » Landis Denies Doping Allegations — Friday, 28 July , 2006 @ 2:35 pm