Landis blames testing procedure
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 at 21:25 
Floyd Landis claims his doping test was "fatally flawed" and says officials behind the process have an agenda. The American tested positive for unusual levels of testosterone after winning stage 17 of this year's race and is set to lose his title. But Landis, 30, claims the leak of his test broke rules and questions the anonymity of the procedure. "There's extraneous circumstances that indicate there's some strange things going on with this test," said Landis.
Landis criticised officials from the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) for announcing the results of his test without analysing his B sample. He also claimed the test was not conducted anonymously, saying he had evidence to prove laboratory staff had access to the names of the samples being tested.
"You'll see that they clearly broke the rules and their excuse was pathetic. The only explanation I can come up with is that there is some agenda here," Landis told Radio Four's Today programme. "The public display of humiliation they've brought upon me, breaking their own rules in the process, and the excuses they've used, have been unacceptable in the least.
"I can prove to you, and will demonstrate to you, that the people at the laboratory are not objective about this.
"I have evidence to indicate they have the names of the riders connected to the numbers.
"In order for them to be objective, without any kind of bias, it has to be completely anonymous. That has to be a fatal flaw in the system.
"It's devastating and now I'm angry and disappointed in the system. I'm upset that some people with ethics like they have have been given the authority to do the things they're doing."
UCI boss Pat McQuaid, however, insisted there were no such rules regarding the naming of a rider who has failed a drugs test. "I make no excuses for the fact that we announced we had an adverse analytical finding on the Tour de France - it's important we're completely transparent - and that's all we announced.
"It was his team that released his name, not the UCI," McQuaid told BBC Sport.
The Irishman also rejected the likelihood that the independent, Wada-accredited lab in Paris would compromise the anonymity of the test.
"I have no evidence, or ever been aware of any evidence, to show the labs have the names at the same time as the numbers, so I would reject that completely," he said.
"But I do have an agenda. My agenda is a clean sport and to retain the credibility of the sport."
Landis has denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs and a variety of reasons were offered for his failed test, including one that he drank whisky and beer the night before stage 17.
The ride to Morzine saw him record an epic victory after struggling on the final climb the day before.
Other reasons given were dehydration, injections for pain in his hip and his natural metabolism.
Since then the former mountain bike star has launched a vigorous defence of his reputation on American television.
Landis told NBC's "Today" show that some of the explanations for the unusual levels of testosterone were given in haste.
"I've come out in the press and tried to explain these test results, but I think that was a mistake," said Landis. "I was forced into this situation because of leaks from the UCI."
Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America" show, Landis denied all of these explanations came from him.
"All of these reasons that have come up, some from me, some from other people, we need to forget about them and let the experts figure out what's going on," he said.
"The whisky idea was not mine and the dehydration was a theory from the lawyers I hired in Spain to represent me at the opening of the B sample.
"But I did not authorise them to say something like that so I'm disappointed with that."
Landis, who has already been sacked by his Phonak team, faces a two-year ban if the US Anti-Doping Agency decides he is guilty, though he will have the opportunity to appeal.
UCI officials must then decide whether to award the Tour de France title to runner-up Oscar Pereiro of Spain. link
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