Tour de France champion Floyd Landis to hear fate of ‘B’ sample Saturday

According to reports, the International Cycling Union will be revealing the results of Floyd Landis’ ‘B’ sample on Saturday at 5:00 am EST. The test was administered after the initial sample supplied by Landis was found to have an unnaturally elevated testosterone level.

A spokesman for the ICU said “We will release a statement tomorrow” in concerns to the ‘B’ sample.

Landis’ improbable comeback in the 17th stage of this year’s Tour de France paved the way for his remarkable victory. Going into the stage the American was trailing by over eight minutes and had been written off by most experts. His climb through the Alps shaved his time deficit to 30 seconds going into the final day. Race director Jean-Marie Leblanc called Landis’ 17th stage effort "the best performance in the modern history of the Tour."

The team leader of Phonak was embraced as a hero and marked for his courage and determination. For his stage victory he was awarded the yellow jersey which also comes with a mandatory drug test. The following day Landis locked up his first Tour and became the third American to win cycling’s most prestigious event. It was also the eighth victory in a row captured by an American; Lance Armstrong had won the previous seven Tours.

Since the positive test results surfaced July 27, Landis has denied any wrongdoing. With suggestions that the results could have come from thyroid medication, cortisone shots, or a few drinks he had before the defining stage, Landis has not been short on excuses. His latest contention is that dehydration may have played a role in the higher than normal level.

He doesn’t have science on his side when it comes to that argument. A noted anti-doping official, Prof. Christiane Ayotte, pointed out “In 25 years of experience of testing testosterone ... such a huge increase in the level of testosterone cannot be accepted to come from any natural factors.”

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency would handle the case if the ‘B’ sample does come back positive.

A guilty verdict would strip Landis of the Tour title and result in a two year suspension.