Post by kimster on Aug 13, 2006 10:31:09 GMT -5
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has spoken out in support of his Tour successor and former US Postal lieutenant Floyd Landis.
Landis, who has been sacked by his Phonak team and renounced by race organisers since testing positive for testosterone during his 2006 yellow jersey campaign, should have "laid low" after news of the positive came out Armstrong said.
"It's obviously not a good situation for cycling," the American told reporters at a charity bike race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday. "Everybody would admit that. Floyd would admit that.
"It's certainly not a good situation for American cycling," he added. "But I am a fan and supporter of Floyd Landis. I believe in him."
The record Tour de France champion Armstrong, who has been dogged by accusations of doping despite never giving a positive test, said that it was the media that failing to give his compatriot a just chance.
"In this day and age, you're not going to get a fair shake in the media," said Armstrong.
"And the more you get out there and talk about it, I have to talk about it. The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media. ... I would have encouraged him just to lay low."
Landis has attempted to give several explanations for his positive test, saying the test was "fatally flawed" and accusing the International Cycling Union of pursuing "some agenda" against the rider.
Landis appeared on the American television talk show “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” this week, citing a new defence.
"Now there's also the possibility, and it's an argument that has been used by other people... at this point, I don't know if it's somehow or some way I ingested something that caused the tests to be that way."
Now that the UCI have taken the case to US doping authorities after both Landis' A and his B samples came back positive, the investigation will take on a whole new procedure, one that Armstrong believed would not yield a conclusion for a while.
"Unfortunately, I think this will be a long process to litigate and appeal and re-appeal," the Texan said. "We won't know for a long time."
Landis rode alongside Armstrong from 2002 to 2004, helping his compatriot to three Tour titles along the way.
The 2006 Tour de France began with a horrendous doping scandal after several of the sport's best riders were implicated in a Spanish investigation and subsequently suspended from competing in the Grande Boucle.
Landis then revitalised the race with a seemingly miraculous comeback in the Alps on Stage 17, one day after cracking in the mountains.
The revelation of the positive test in that 17th stage, which came in the week following Landis' overall victory on the Champs Elysees, was devastating news for the race.
In another blow for American athletes, last month also revealed that 100m Olympic champion and joint world-record holder Justin Gatlin had tested positive for testosterone after an April relay.
Speaking from the same room where Gatlin gave a press conference after breaking the world record three months ago, Armstrong attributed cycling's recent string of doping scandals to the sport's stringent testing policies.
"That's why so many people are out there getting caught, or supposedly getting caught, because we're really aggressive," he said.
www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2006/sport_sto943580.shtml
Landis, who has been sacked by his Phonak team and renounced by race organisers since testing positive for testosterone during his 2006 yellow jersey campaign, should have "laid low" after news of the positive came out Armstrong said.
"It's obviously not a good situation for cycling," the American told reporters at a charity bike race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday. "Everybody would admit that. Floyd would admit that.
"It's certainly not a good situation for American cycling," he added. "But I am a fan and supporter of Floyd Landis. I believe in him."
The record Tour de France champion Armstrong, who has been dogged by accusations of doping despite never giving a positive test, said that it was the media that failing to give his compatriot a just chance.
"In this day and age, you're not going to get a fair shake in the media," said Armstrong.
"And the more you get out there and talk about it, I have to talk about it. The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media. ... I would have encouraged him just to lay low."
Landis has attempted to give several explanations for his positive test, saying the test was "fatally flawed" and accusing the International Cycling Union of pursuing "some agenda" against the rider.
Landis appeared on the American television talk show “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” this week, citing a new defence.
"Now there's also the possibility, and it's an argument that has been used by other people... at this point, I don't know if it's somehow or some way I ingested something that caused the tests to be that way."
Now that the UCI have taken the case to US doping authorities after both Landis' A and his B samples came back positive, the investigation will take on a whole new procedure, one that Armstrong believed would not yield a conclusion for a while.
"Unfortunately, I think this will be a long process to litigate and appeal and re-appeal," the Texan said. "We won't know for a long time."
Landis rode alongside Armstrong from 2002 to 2004, helping his compatriot to three Tour titles along the way.
The 2006 Tour de France began with a horrendous doping scandal after several of the sport's best riders were implicated in a Spanish investigation and subsequently suspended from competing in the Grande Boucle.
Landis then revitalised the race with a seemingly miraculous comeback in the Alps on Stage 17, one day after cracking in the mountains.
The revelation of the positive test in that 17th stage, which came in the week following Landis' overall victory on the Champs Elysees, was devastating news for the race.
In another blow for American athletes, last month also revealed that 100m Olympic champion and joint world-record holder Justin Gatlin had tested positive for testosterone after an April relay.
Speaking from the same room where Gatlin gave a press conference after breaking the world record three months ago, Armstrong attributed cycling's recent string of doping scandals to the sport's stringent testing policies.
"That's why so many people are out there getting caught, or supposedly getting caught, because we're really aggressive," he said.
www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2006/sport_sto943580.shtml