Decision about Floyd Landis Coming Soon

Filed in archive Biking on September 18, 2007

After more than a year of public debate, retested samples, and sifting through evidence, arbitrators closed the official hears and is ready to make a decision about either 2006 Tour de France, Floyd Landis, actually tested positive for testosterone. According to an article on Yahoo! Sports, the decision is expected by September 22.

Landis has maintained his innocence from day one. However, in the court of public opinion, he is guilty. Not because he may have tested positive, but because others have him have. The Tour de France - as much as I hate to admit it - is tainted. Tainted with illegal drugs and cheating. Maybe if the arbitrators found him innocence, then the organizers of the Tour de France can begin to fix the storied race's reputation.

Landis testified in May as part of a two-week public arbitration hearing to determine whether his positive doping test from last year's Tour should be upheld. He tested positive for synthetic testosterone after Stage 17 of the race.

Over the past three months, arbitrators have been sorting through the evidence and collecting additional information from the parties. They met Wednesday and are writing their final decision.

Landis, who has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, would face a two-year ban from cycling and the loss of his Tour title if he loses the case.

The losing side has the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.