CYCLING:Floyd Landis yesterday became the first Tour de France winner to be stripped of his title for doping after the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) found him guilty of using testosterone in last year's race.
Landis tested positive after a dramatic comeback on the 17th stage of the race saw him storm back into contention after losing over eight minutes to his chief rivals the day before. He denied taking any banned substance, even though post-stage tests showed he had a testosterone-epitestosterone level higher than the maximum permitted ratio of 4:1.
Landis has been hit with a two-year ban and also loses his title.
Speaking to The Irish Times, UCI president Pat McQuaid said the news would mean runner-up Oscar Pereiro will now be considered last year's champion.
"We can confirm that Pereiro will be the winner of the 2006 Tour de France, and that Floyd Landis will get a two-year ban," he said, speaking by phone from the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.
The case went to trial in May and much of Landis' defence was centred around the arguments that the French lab which carried out the A and B sample analysis had made several errors.
The USADA agreed on this point, dismissing the test which showed the high T:E ratio, but said that the follow up carbon isotope ratio analysis which detected synthetic testosterone was reliable and showed a doping violation had indeed taken place.
Landis faces a two-year ban from January 30th, 2007. He continues to deny any wrongdoing and can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
"Mr Landis now is currently weighing his future legal alternatives in pursuing his case," said his defence team yesterday, suggesting that a submission to CAS may follow.
