Landis Loses Tour de France Title: Steroids and HGH Alive and Well

Floyd Landis lost his final chance to retain his 2006 Tour de France title Monday. A three-person panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a previous panel’s decision, ruling his positive doping test during the Tour two years ago was, indeed, valid. Landis also must pay $100,000 toward the legal fees of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. "I am saddened by today’s decision," Landis said in a statement. "I am looking into my legal options and deciding on the best way to proceed." In its 58-page decision, the panel at sports’ highest court said the lab that analyzed Landis’ positive test results used some "less than ideal laboratory practices, but not lies, fraud, forgery or cover-ups," the way the Landis camp had alleged. The decision comes just six days before the start of the 2008 Tour. Landis won the 2006 edition after a stunning comeback in Stage 17, a rally that turned out to be fueled by synthetic testosterone. "The ruling upholds Landis’ two-year ban from cycling, which is due to end Jan. 29, 2009, though at this point, the ban wasn’t the real issue.

Landis hoped to be exonerated and to get his title back. He also wanted to use the protracted case to shed light on procedures at USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, which he says are unfair and rigged against athletes who often don’t have the resources to fund their defense. "That’s always been part of the system, that they’ve always had more resources than the athlete. This is the first time it’s even been close," Landis’ attorney, Maurice Suh, said in an interview last year. Bankrolled through several private sources, including a fundraising campaign he launched on his own, Landis forced a case that cost more than $2 million — a burden on him, but also a strain on the bottom lines of both USADA and WADA, which shared the cost of prosecuting the case. After his unprecedented public hearing at his first arbitration case last May, the arbitrators upheld his doping ban but scolded USADA and the labs it uses for practices that were less than airtight. The cyclist’s future plans aren’t yet known, though he was said to be hurting financially. What’s for sure is he will go down as the first cyclist in the history of the Tour to have his title stripped for a doping violation. 

Wow - they just don’t get it - almost everybody with access, knowledge, and bankroll is using performance enhancing drugs these days - from sports to modelling - from entertainment to just plain healthy living.  Let’s reiterate: used judiciously steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) make you healthier, stronger, better looking and more fit - we are not talking about professional bodybuilders looking for 22" arms - just regular folks like Sarah Jessica Parker who do not want to show the ravages of age when they appear 20 feet tall on the big screen.  Its amazing - since HGH has become readily available most movie stars bodies are looking younger each year!  Could there be a connection? I (unfortunately) saw "Sex In The City" last week and if Ms. Parker did not use HGH to prepare for her role then neither did Sylvestor Stallone for Rocky or Rambo.  10 to 20 years from now HGH and certain steroids will be prescribed for most middle-aged adults - they will be making the choice for better living through science.

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111 aleblanc Published 6/30/08   Message Add to Friends

 

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