Landis Found Guilty - Must Forfeit Title

The Floyd Landis doping case is one I followed, because I was genuinely curious as to what would happen to someone who won a world championship in a sport and then was found to have cheated. Well, the arbitrators in this case have spoken and they say that Landis did indeed cheat and that he must forfeit his title.

Just reviewing the history of this saga I think Landis, like other cyclists, do indeed cheat because they know that the testing procedure and then the appeal process is so riddled with flaws and uncertainties that if you assemble a top-notch legal team the chances of you dodging any repercussions might be likely.

But you look at the stage that Landis tested positive for doping...a stage that he gained 8 minutes on the leaders in what was a difficult mountain stage of the Tour de France, many cycling 'experts' were likely questioning whether or not he was doping or not without any testing done at all.

I did hold some skepticism for Landis until the hearings conclusion where I felt he was guilty despite his continued profession of innocence. But as I cited in a post wrapping up the arbitration hearing, there is still a final level of appeal for Landis...it is now a question of whether or not he will exercise that option. Regardless, I think this will be the final blow to his reputation and will forever be branded a cheater and a disgrace.