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Landis loses appeal over Tour de France doping case

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 30, 2008 (AFP) - The Court of Arbitration for
Sport (CAS) on Monday dismissed US cyclist Floyd Landis’ appeal to overturn a
positive doping test that resulted in the stripping of his 2006 Tour de France
title.

The CAS upheld an earlier decision by the American Arbitration Association,
saying that Landis would be banned for two years starting January 30, 2007.

It also ordered the disgraced cyclist to pay 100,000 dollars to the US
Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) as a contribution towards its costs in the CAS
arbitration.

The American rider said through his lawyers on Monday: “I am saddened by
today’s decision. I am looking into my legal options.”

Landis was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title after standing atop
the podium following the final stage, when he tested positive for synthetic
testosterone after the penultimate 17th stage of the race.

The American had fallen back in stage 16 but rallied in stage 17 to reclaim
almost eight minutes on his way to a now-disgraced victory moment.

Landis denied any wrongdoing and appealed to the USADA in an open hearing
last May. But the USADA panel ruled 2-1 against him, resulting in the two-year
ban.

The International Cycling Union stripped Landis of his 2006 crown after
that verdict, awarding the title to Spain’s Oscar Pereiro.

Landis then brought the case to the global panel, attacking the credibility
of the French laboratory which handled his doping samples.

In its ruling, the CAS said the laboratory “did not violate the
International Standard for Laboratories.”

It concluded that “the presence of exogenous tesosterone or its precursors
of metabolites in Floyd Landis’ sample proves that he violated the anti-doping
rules of the International Cycling Union.”

The Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) later expressed their
satisfaction with CAS’s ruling. “WADA is satisfield with CAS’s decision,” its
president John Fahey said in a statement.

“This case is another sad example of a sportsman who cheated who persists
in denying the facts. I hope all athletes tempted to cheat take this lesson to
heart and that it acts as a deterrent.”