Landis Says He’s Clean
Charles Johnson
Fri Jul 28, 2006 at 3:41 pm PDT • Views: 378
Floyd Landis says the drug accusations against him are not true, and he intends to prove it.
MADRID, Spain - Floyd Landis said the high testosterone levels that caused him to fail a drug test at the Tour de France are the result of his natural metabolism — not doping of any kind — and he will undergo tests to prove it.
“We will explain to the world why this is not a doping case but a natural occurrence,” Landis said Friday in his first public appearance since the doping test cast doubt on his title, one of the most stirring comeback wins in Tour history.
Landis said in a teleconference Thursday that he had no idea what may have tripped the test following the race’s 17th stage, where he made his heroic charge into the Alps last week.
But on Friday he was adamant that the reading is the result of his natural physiology.
“I would like to make absolutely clear that I am not in any doping process,” Landis said. “I ask not to be judged by anyone, much less sentenced by anyone.”
Landis is still awaiting results from a backup sample, which will clear him if it comes back negative. He said Friday that he would undergo additional testing to show that his body produces a high level of testosterone naturally.
Frank says: