Floyd Landis officially did not win the 2006 Tour de France. According to the Associate Press, "Landis lost his expensive and explosive doping case Thursday when arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory, The Associated Press has learned. The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, must forfeit his Tour de France title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007."
I hadn't thought about this in a while, but a few weeks ago some friends told me Landis was in the Blue Ridge. He jumped on a mountain bike and took third at the increasingly popular Shenandoah Mountain 100 race near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Apparently Landis was having a great time hanging out with a lot of the region's best riders. But the shroud of potential disgrace still lingered.
After the race SM 100 women's winner Sue Haywood told me, "(Landis) is a really nice guy with an interesting personality, but the verdict is still out, so it was still an awkward situation.”
Now the verdict is in, and Landis will undoubtedly face increased alienation from his peers. If he really cheated, I'm glad justice was served. But overall I hope this is a step toward a cure for a doping epidemic that is still showing very few signs of going away.
-J.F.
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