Disgraced Landis loses appeal
The panel upheld Landis' two-year suspension which runs until January 2009
Thursday, 20, Sep 2007 09:09
Former Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been found guilty of taking banned drugs after losing an appeal hearing.
At a bitterly-fought hearing at the court of arbitration for sport, the panel upheld the test results that revealed the 2006 champion was doping.
The American panel voted 2-1 in favour of the results, which showed Landis had used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular victory.
Spaniard Oscar Pereiro, who finished second to Landis, has been declared the winner of the 2006 Tour.
Landis insisted on a public hearing to question the competence of the French lab where his urine was tested.
But the panel rejected the 31-year-old's argument of a conspiracy at the Chatenay-Malabry laboratory.
If Landis does not appeal he will become the first cyclist in the 105-year history of the race to be stripped of the title because of a doping offence.
The American said the ruling was a blow to athletes and cyclists.
"For the panel to find in favour of USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) when, with respect to so many issues, USADA did not manage to prove even the most basic parts of their case shows that this system is fundamentally flawed," Landis said.
"I am innocent, and we proved I am innocent."
Pat McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), told Reuters: "He has been found guilty. It proves that the system works, no matter who you are."