Landis B result set for Saturday
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 19:44
[Rumour has it that the IFBB will ask Landis to present awards at its next male, dope free, bodybuilding contest. Landis has filed his entry form for the 2008 Mr. Olympia contest]
The analysis of the American's B sample is expected to take place in Paris from Thursday after he officially requested the test on Monday. Landis is facing the loss of his title and a two-year ban after a positive test for unusual testosterone levels. He has rejected the results, saying he has naturally high testosterone levels. The UCI, the sport's governing body, had asked the laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry to go ahead with the test before Landis' request.
"We have done this so the whole thing can be speeded up," a UCI spokesperson said. "We took this decision because of the importance of the case. Also the longer it goes on the more damage the sport risks suffering."
But Michael Henson, a spokesman for Landis based in New York, insisted that the cyclist himself had asked on Monday for the B sample to be tested.
"Floyd did request the B sample test. He faxed a request to his lawyers in Spain at 1245 (1745 BST), which is well within the five-day limit required of the athlete," said Henson.
If the UCI had not asked for the test, and Landis had waited till Wednesday to appeal for the B sample to be tested, the result would not be known for several weeks as the laboratory shuts for the holidays at the end of the week.
The 30-year-old Landis tested positive after winning stage 17 of the race.
Speaking at a news conference in Madrid last week, he said the testosterone was "absolutely natural and produced by my own organism" and would agree to undergo tests to prove his case.
Landis also said he expected the second sample to return a similar result to the first but insisted that he is innocent.
"We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case but a natural occurrence," he said.
"I would like to (make it) absolutely clear that I'm not in any doping process. In this particular case, nobody can talk about doping."
The Phonak rider produced one of the most memorable displays in Tour history when he stormed to victory in Morzine by almost six minutes.
The win put him back into contention for the yellow jersey a day after his chances looked to have evaporated when he cracked on the final climb of stage 16. Link




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