Landis slams Wada officials

2006-08-07 08:13

Washington - Floyd Landis, whose Tour de France triumph was followed by a positive doping test, ripped International Cycling Union (ICU) and World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) officials over the public release of his 'B' sample in an interview with USA Today.

The newspaper posted comments on Sunday on its website from the embattled US cyclist after Saturday's release of his test results, Landis saying he has been treated unfairly and cannot properly defend himself against doping accusations.

Landis tested positive, reportedly for synthetic testosterone, and was above allowable limits of testosterone in the body in a test after a dramatic stage 17 that pulled him from nearly out of contention to nearly in first place.

Landis said the media knew the result of each of his samples before he did, including the original July 27 revelation of the 'A'-sample positive.

"I just got the information on the 'A' sample a day and half ago," Landis told the newspaper.

"I had to find out about the 'B' from reading it in the media."

Landis cited another shamed US hero, doping-positive 100m world-record co-holder Justin Gatlin, noting that Gatlin had known about his positive result for testosterone ratio for months before the news became public.

"I had only two days to react to mine," Landis said. "(ICU boss) Pat McQuaid said he had to release mine before the lab leaked it."

Landis defended his amazing stage 17 effort, saying the comeback was less of an oddity than the positive sample.

"I put in more than 20 000km of training for the Tour. I won the Tour of California, Paris-Nice and the Tour de Georgia. I was tested eight times at the Tour (de France), four times before that stage and three times after, including three blood tests," Landis said.

"Only one came back positive.

"Nobody in their right mind would take testosterone just once. It doesn't work that way."

The 30-year-old racer said his biggest mistake was reacting to media reports when the news broke, saying it gave an impression he was coming up with new explanations and excuses each day.

"I've been catching a lot of grief in the press: 'Floyd has a new excuse, a new reason for what happened.' This is a situation where I'm forced to defend myself in the media," Landis said.

"It would never have happened if UCI and Wada had followed their own rules."

Landis stopped short of saying his sample was tainted to make him look positive, but did say, "There's some kind of agenda there. I just don't know what it is."

Landis said he plans to undergo hip replacement surgery in about two weeks and will then prepare to make his case in a hearing before the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the next month.

USA Cycling revealed on Saturday it has sent the Landis case to USADA after receiving formal confirmation of the 'B' sample positive from the ICU.

Regarding the possibility that someone from Phonak, the team that fired him after Saturday's 'B' sample news broke, inadvertently or deliberately gave him synthetic testosterone, Landis said there was "zero chance" that happened.

"Something bad happened to me, but bicycle racing is the most beautiful sport in the world. I want to remain part of it."

- AFP