Floyd Landis: I've Been Framed
Remember Floyd Landis, whose 2006 Tour de France win and subsequent doping scandal dominated the news for a few days in July 2006? After a number of tests showed signs of doping (first the unusually high epitestosterone to testosterone levels in both A and B samples and later the more damning test indicating the presence of synthetic testosterone), it seemed all but sure that Landis would lose his title. But to this day, Landis hasn't stopped his efforts to retain his title and clear his name. In addition to his website, which includes frequent posts on the continuing legal fight, he has set up the wonderfully alliterative and descriptive Floyd Fairness Fund in order to raise support. Hey, at least he didn't call it Keeping Kickstand Karma or something like that- yes, that was terrible, but you try to come up with better words that start with k.
Amazingly, it seems as if he may have a chance. Well, if not of clearing his name than at least of retaining his title. Phil Liggett, the announcer of the tour was quoted on Feb 27th by CBS 4 in Denver as saying of Landis: "He's so angry. During the week he announced his defense policies. There have been mistakes made on the testing and I believe he will win his appeal." In his initial defense in the first few days after the test, Landis gave a large variety of possible causes for his test results (alcohol, dehydration, unusually high natural levels) all of which were *ahem* seriously questioned by experts. His new defense, though, centers around errors in the testing procedures. Arnie Baker, a cycling coach and licensed physician who is described as the trustee of the Floyd Fairness Fund, has produced a presentation detailing the errors (which proves a lot more digestible than the full 370 page "wiki defense" offered on the site).
Among the claimed errors: that the lab sheets were sloppily labeled and sometimes mislabeled, that there were large errors in the values taken, that the test for synthetic testosterone—considered to be the real blow to Landis' credibility—was not done properly, and that standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were not followed. This last point, including the contention that technicians who worked on Landis' A sample also worked on his B sample may prove to be the most important. In 2005, doping charges against Spanish cyclist Inigo Landaluce were dropped for precisely the same mistake.
Landis is now awaiting a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) hearing in May. He has agreed not to race in France for the remainder of 2007 in exchange for the USADA's French counterpart, the AFLD, delaying making any decision until after the USADA meets.