Jul 28, 2006 08:42
Now, I'll admit, my knowledge of cycling could maybe fill a thimble on a rainy day. But here's what I don't understand regarding the Floyd Landis "alleged" doping scandal: How does testosterone help him get 8 minutes back? Answer: It doesn't. The only role testosterone plays (to my knowledge) is recovery. If you want to dope to get 8 minutes back, you're likely looking more into the blood oxygen suite of drugs. Though arguably those are more detectable. Granted the extra testosterone could help some between days but what Landis did in regaining the yellow jersey could not have been determined by a testosterone patch.
Unfortunately, much like rape (yeah, its a horrible parallel, but accurate), the allegation alone is enough to taint his victory. Even if he is cleared, this shadow will loom for some time. Of course, it is also quite possible he did take some extra hormones. If so, he deserves every page of the book that gets thrown at him. For now, this just simply doesn't add up.
Doc
sports