Landis: Assume I’m Innocent

By Mark Hoerrner

Floyd Landis is falling apart. Not because of his suspension yesterday after testing positive for too much testosterone – or not really, because he’s actually got low testosterone – but because he’s actually falling apart. He’s got a thyroid disease. His hip is about to be replaced. He’s been taking cortisone for the hip ailment. Oh, and he was downing Jack Daniels the night before he won Stage 17 of the Tour de France.

"I would like to be assumed innocent until proven guilty since that’s the way we do things in America," Landis said during a press conference.

On top of all of his physical issues, he’s now got to contend with waiting for the B-sample, the second test of testosterone to come back in about a week to hopefully clear him from being labeled as a doper. As he pointed out, the test has not truly been failed. It simply registered something abnormal that must be investigated.

"I had everything I could have ever possibly hoped for and dreamed of for the last 10 years," Landis said. "And at the exact moment that I was told, every single scenario went through my head. There was no way for me to be able to tell myself that this wasn't going to be a disaster, whether I come out of this proving I am innocent. No matter what happens next, I knew it was going to be a long road. My immediate reaction was from a very, very high to a very low."

How a rider can have low testosterone and test high for testosterone at the same time is at the center of the issue with the test the Tour currently uses. It’s likely that a lot of reports debating the accuracy of the chemical test will come out in future weeks. The test actually uses a ratio and that ratio was off, according to race officials. When the Phonak team was notified, they immediately suspended Landis.

ESPN contacted Dr. Gary Wadler, a leading medical expert and a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicene. He says the test doesn’t really add up and that it’s unlikely Landis has been using steroids.

"One-time use of steroids could result in an abnormal test, but it would have no effect on performance and could not account for Landis' astounding feat Thursday, "so something's missing here," Wadler told ESPN. "It just doesn't add up."

If Landis had been a user, it would have showed up long before Stage 17, Wadler said, adding that with all of the urine tests throughout the race, there’s little chance that Landis would have been able to conceal performance-enhancing drugs.

The suspension is normal procedure for racing teams and not an indication of a belief that Landis is guilty. Seven other racers were also suspended. Now, everything hinges on the "B-Sample," one of two taking during testing. If the "A" sample is fine, the "B" is usually tossed out. If not, the "B" is retested to determine if a controlled substance was used.

Even if the "B" sample doesn’t vindicate Landis, an appeals process is in place. Landis wants to examine every possibility and may take on the science of the testing process itself.

"We're consulting with a number of the world's experts so we don't speculate," said Dr. Brent Kay, Landis' physician, to ESPN. "Particularly since the testing process isn't complete. … We're getting the experts involved."