Landis Verdict Upheld

Well Floyd Landis is 0 for 2 in trying to clear his name and regain the 2006 Tour de France title that he was stripped of after testing positive for doping.

What the Floyd Landis case, for me, more than anything else is to no longer trust the athlete's word when they deny the allegations of cheating. The athlete, like Landis, time and time again will launch an increbile public relations campaign to sway public opinion and offer some sort of plausible excuse. I even was willing to give Landis some benefit of the doubt. But as what has been seen in the past, when these cases go to court the athletes always lose...ALWAYS. What makes me change my perspective towards the athlete in these cases was the Marion Jones case, the Barry Bonds case and now the Floyd Landis case where...

In the end, the panel saved its harshest criticism for Landis, who it said essentially tried to muddle the evidence and embarrass the French lab, and continued on that course even after the evidence was shown not to exist.

It further illuminates the desperation these athletes exhibit to save their fame. You then factor in that the Landis camp also tried to threaten Greg LeMond the night before his testimony during the first hearing, you can see how desperate Landis was to be cleared. The problem the athletes have and is ultimately always the key factor in these cases, is that they did indeed cheat...they only think the bad part that they did was getting caught.

By catching Landis in '06 and with last years scandals during the Tour de France - multiple cyclists dismissed for testing positive including a yellow jersey - it appears that cycling has developed a methodology that should minimalize cheating in their sport. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new drug free era in all sports.