So much for American dominance at the Tour de France. It looks like Floyd Landis will get disqualified over a positive test for excessive testosterone. This result, if confirmed, would show that Landis juiced just before his remarkable comeback in Stage 17, the key to his victory:

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said Thursday on its Web site. ...

The Swiss-based Phonak team said it was notified by the UCI on Wednesday that Landis’ sample showed “an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone” when he was tested after stage 17 of the race last Thursday.

Landis made a remarkable comeback in that Alpine stage, racing far ahead of the field for a solo win that moved him from 11th to third in the overall standings. He regained the leader’s yellow jersey two days later.

The team and Landis have asked for a new test on Landis' "B" sample. If the new tests confirm the original results, Landis will almost certainly be stripped of his title. Phonak has also publicly stated that it will fire Landis if the allegations are true.

If so, this will be yet another embarrassment for sports of all types. At least cycling takes this seriously. Too many professional sports turn a blind eye to substance abuse, which encourages athletes to juice themselves and forces others to make tough decisions as to whether to keep up. With millions of dollars on the line, many make the wrong decision, and the cycle keeps repeating itself.

Hopefully, this will prove to be an error on the part of the laboratory. If not, Landis deserves all the ridicule that will come his way. (via Michael van der Galien at TMV)

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» A Celebration Turns Sour? from Joust The Facts
Hat tip: Captain Ed. Doh! Say it ain't so, Floyd.LONDON - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said Thursday on its Web site, raising questions about his [Read More]

Tracked on July 27, 2006 12:12 PM

» A Celebration Turns Sour? from Joust The Facts
Hat tip: Captain Ed. Doh! Say it ain't so, Floyd.LONDON - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said Thursday on its Web site, raising questions about his [Read More]

Tracked on July 27, 2006 12:17 PM

» Say it ain’t so Floyd from The Buzz Blog
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has flunked a drug test: LONDON - Tainted at the start, the Tour de France may have been tainted at the finish, too. Floyd Landis’ stunning Tour de France victory was thrown into question Thursday when his team... [Read More]

Tracked on July 27, 2006 5:12 PM

» Landis in the Crosshairs from The Consortium
The witchhunt has begun. Just as Lance Armstrong has had to spend thousands of dollars and years of frustration defending himself against specious allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs, 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis is now in the c... [Read More]

Tracked on July 28, 2006 8:29 AM

» Landis in the Crosshairs from The Consortium
The witchhunt has begun. Just as Lance Armstrong has had to spend thousands of dollars and years of frustration defending himself against specious allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs, 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis is now in the c... [Read More]

Tracked on July 28, 2006 8:31 AM