raylopez99 wrote:
There's more than meets the eye here. Note testosterone was detected
for the first time at Stage 17 of the race and would NOT have affected
his performance.

Regardless of what the B-sample shows, Landis should be allowed to keep
his medal. Clearly the abnormal ratio is a false positive or anomalous
due to the other medication he is taking for thyroid and/or pain and in
any event did not affect his performance.

Poor *******, I feel sorry for him and I don't even follow racing.

RL

Tour winner Landis fails doping test

By Stephen Wilson
ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 28, 2006

LONDON -- Floyd Landis' Tour de France victory was thrown into question
yesterday when his team said he tested positive for high testosterone
levels during stage 17, when the American champion began his stunning
comeback with a charge into the Alps.

The Swiss-based Phonak team said it was notified by the
International Cycling Union (UCI) on Wednesday that Landis' sample
showed an "unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone" when he was
tested after stage 17 on July 20.

"My immediate reaction was to look for the alcohol bottle," joked
Landis, who is known to enjoy a beer on the Tour and said he drank
whiskey with teammates to bury their sorrows after Landis nearly fell
out of contention the day before his stage 17 charge.

The 30-year-old Landis made a dramatic 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. Despite a degenerative hip
condition that will require surgery, he regained the leader's yellow
jersey two days later.

Testosterone creams, pills and injections can build muscle and
strength and improve recovery time after exertion when used over
several weeks. Testosterone is included as an anabolic steroid by the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on its list of banned substances. The
use of supplements can be punished by a two-year ban.

Under the agency's regulations, a ratio of testosterone to
epitestosterone greater than 4-to-1 is considered a positive result and
subject to investigation. The most likely natural ratio of testosterone
to epitestosterone in humans is 1-to-1.

However, if Landis had been a user, his earlier urine tests during
the Tour would have been affected, too, said Dr. Gary Wadler, a WADA
member and a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. The
stage 17 test was the first reported abnormal result.

One-time use of steroids could result in an abnormal test, but it
would have no effect on performance and could not account for Landis'
astounding feat in that stage.
"So something's missing here," Dr. Wadler said. "It just doesn't
add up."

Asked repeatedly what might have caused his positive test, Landis
refused to lay blame on anything in particular.

"As to what actually caused it on that particular day, I can only
speculate," he said.
However, Landis suggested in a story posted on Sports Illustrated's
Web site that a small amount of hormone he has been taking for a
thyroid condition or the cortisone shots he gets for hip pain could
have skewed the result. Doctors, however, said the cortisone would not
affect his test results.


raylopez99 wrote:
Starting a seperate thread based on some comments I reproduce below.

I once saw a study of NFL football (American) players, which showed
that they had, as a class, some of the highest concentrations of
testosterone. They actually tied with criminals as I recall.

The obvious question then is whether testosterone, which unlike some
other drugs is produced naturally in the body, can "spike" naturally
above the legal limit (or ratio) of 6:1 (testosterone to
epitestosterone). Is it possible in the heat of battle (short term) or
by diligent exercise (long term) to increase your testosterone over the
legal limit without taking performance enhancing drugs? Some studies
suggest so, according to some posters.

Any doctors or medical researchers in this NG would could comment?

Perhaps a lot of athletes have been robbed of their medals.

RL

==========================

Testosterone and epitestosterone are both synthesised by the body, so
that in urine the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone is 6.
If a sport competitor takes testosterone as a performance enhancing
drug, the ratio is increased above 6.


Boyd ') wrote:
dannyfrankszzz said the following on 27/07/2006 15:31:
I can't believe this! Pro cycling has to be about the biggest joke
going.
"The American, who claimed victory in the Tour de France on Sunday, has
tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone."
Maybe I've missed something, but isn't it normal for a male to have
testosterone???
Yes, within certain ranges. More improves your performance. What's
alleged is than Landis' level after the 17th stage was 'anomalous',
which I think is a polite way of saying 'outside the natural range'.
Although, of course, different people differ in their natural levels of
testosterone.


If the B test is another "non-negative" then it'll be a mess that'll
have to get sorted out in court. The bureaucrats won't have the
authority to simply allow him to keep the victory on the theory that the
levels were actually "normal" or were created by normal processes. From
their perspective that's irrelevant.