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Landis testosterone levels high in Tour de France


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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060727/sp_wl...is_060727144600

ZURICH (AFP) - Tour de France winner Floyd Landis's testosterone levels were found to be unusually high in an official doping test during the race, the Phonak cycling team has announced.

The Swiss-based team said on its website that it was notified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Wednesday of "an unusual level of Testosteron/Epitestosteron ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France."

The US rider will ask for a counter analysis in the coming days, it added Thursday. The B sample test will be again carried out by France's national anti-doping laboratory at Chatenay-Malabry.

The test was done on the evening of his victory in the 17th stage of the Tour de France to Morzine when he managed to claim the mountainous stage victory after a 130km solo breakaway.

The 30-year-old American regained the yellow jersey two days after winning in Morzine and won the race overall in Paris on July 23.

The news comes as mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the American champion after he withdrew from two races in the Netherlands and Denmark the day after cycling's world governing body UCI announced a rider on the Tour had failed a doping test.

The ANP Dutch news agency said Landis pulled out of a race in Chaam on Wednesday evening after medical advice but this reason for not appearing was not confirmed by race organisers.

It was also discovered that Landis would not be coming to Thursday's Grand Prix Jyske Bank race, the Danish organisers said in a statement.

Landis did show top form however to win the Stiphout criterium in the Netherlands on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, the UCI had said in a statement: "The adverse analytical finding received this morning relates to the first analysis, and will have to be confirmed either by a counter-analysis required by the rider, or by the fact that the rider renounces to that counter analysis.

"The World Anti-doping Code and the Anti-doping Rules of the UCI do not allow to make the name of the concerned rider public, as well as other information that may allow identification."

This year's Tour was rocked by a drugs scandal on the eve of the race which saw 13 riders, including pre-race favourites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, barred from taking part after they were implicated in a Spanish blood-doping ring.

It was the latest in a series of high-profile drugs controversies to tarnish cycling over the past decade, with the Tour de France being particularly hard hit.

:roll:

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Landis didn't have a bad knee, he's having surgery on his hip later this year. The way I see it, he's been taking cortisone shots for his bad hip and in these shots there is testosterone. This is what has likely caused the positive test, and they will be testing his "B" sample in the near future. I refuse to believe that he has done something to jeopardize his cycling career, he's never tested positive before, and I highly doubt he's going to start now...

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Landis didn't have a bad knee, he's having surgery on his hip later this year. The way I see it, he's been taking cortisone shots for his bad hip and in these shots there is testosterone. This is what has likely caused the positive test, and they will be testing his "B" sample in the near future. I refuse to believe that he has done something to jeopardize his cycling career, he's never tested positive before, and I highly doubt he's going to start now...

My bad, I knew it was a hip, I don't know why I said knee, I must have not paid attention.

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pretty disgraceful nonetheless. I know it takes a lot of endurance and sometimes superhuman strength to go cycling in the mountains. But nothing should surprise you anymore. Especially with cheaters like Giambalco obviously on Human growth hormone and still playing in the bigs.

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cycling is problay the most drug ridden sport out there. there was a big doping scandal before the race that got jan urlich, among many others dq'ed from the tour.

i think the tour people are just jealous americans have dominated their race for eight years.

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cycling is problay the most drug ridden sport out there. there was a big doping scandal before the race that got jan urlich, among many others dq'ed from the tour.

i think the tour people are just jealous americans have dominated their race for eight years.

Americans that cheat better.

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I don't know about this. With all his injuries and struggles, him coming out of no where to win it, something had to be up. I would like to think he didn't cheat, but right now I just don't know.

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The night before Stage 17, Mr. Landis said, while gathered with friends and teammates, he prepared for the strenuous mountain stage by drinking two beers and at least four shots of whiskey.

The revelation that Mr. Landis was drinking the night before the test could be significant. According to several studies, alcohol consumption can increase the ratio between testosterone and epitestosterone, which occur naturally in the body. Mr. Landis failed the test because it showed an elevated ratio between the two.

Makes sense. Beer makes you overload on carbs and essentially gives you a boost.

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