16 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, July 31, 2006 -SPORTS LANDIS Continued from Page 14 after the Tour's 17th stage. Landis isstill awaiting results from a backup sample, which would clear him immediately. But his lawyer, Luis Sanz, said he fully expected the backup test to come back with the same result, because the testosterone imbalance was produced naturally by J.andis's body. The 30-year-old cyclist said Friday that he would undergo additional test- ing to prove that "the levels that I've had during the Tour and all my career are natural and produced by my own organism." Until those tests are conducted, Landis said, "I ask not to be judged, or much less to be sentenced by ;anyone." But Landis saved his most defiant tone for the defense of his title as Tour de France champion. "I was the strongest guy. I deserved to win, and I'm proud of it,' he said. Landis appeared to lose any chance of victory during a disastrous 16th stage of the Tour, then broke out with one of the greatest performances in 'history the next day. After winning the 17th stage, he submitted to a drug test - standard for a stage winner - that showed an "unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone." Phonak suspended Landis after the International Cycling Union notified it Wednesday of the result, and he could be stripped of his title and fired from the team if he does -not clear his name. A homecoming parade planned for Landis next week in Ephrata, Pa., has Recent Tour de France winner Floyd Landis could be stripped of his title. been put on hold pending more test results, organizer Rich Ruoff said Friday. As many as 10,000 people and 500 cyclists were expected at the event. ThenewsofLandis'stesthasrocked the cycling world, already under a cloud following a wide-ranging dop- ing investigation in Spain that led to the barring of several of the world's leading cyclists from the Tour. On the eve of the Tour's start, nine riders - including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso - were ousted, implicated in a Spanish doping investigation. Their names turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with a Span- ish doctor at the center of the probe. Landis was not implicated in that investigation. Seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong said all he knew about Landis's case was what has been reported. "But I will say this," Armstrong told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday. "When Floyd was with us, there was never a problem. We never saw anything even remote- ly off, never had a reason to suspect anything. He left our team for a better offer. There was no suspicious behav- ior, none. It's that simple. "Secondly, I can't help but be aware the lab that found this suspicious reading is the same one that was at the center of the 'LEquipe affair." The French newspaper, L'Equipe, said samples taken from Armstrong during the 1999 Tour de France and then frozen tested positive for the blood-booster EPO. The Interna- tional Cycling Union commissioned a report that later cleared Armstrong of the doping allegations. "When an independent investigator contacted the lab, they wouldn't answer the simplestofquestions,wouldn't gointo their testing ethics, who did the tests,etc., etc.," Armstrong said. "I don't personally have a ton of faith in that lab. I think they should lose their authorization and the report pretty much supports that" GATLIN Continued from Page 14 victory at the Tour de France. Landis claims his body's natural metabolism caused the result. The test on the cyclist measured the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in his system and found an imbalance. Gatlin's test was different. Called a car- bon-isotope ratio test, it's essentially a test that looks only at testosterone, not epitestosterone, and can determine whether the testosterone in a person's system is natural or unnatural. The results of both athletes' tests point to the same type of violation of illegal- substance policy. In his statement, Gatlin said he tested positive for "testosterone or its precur- sors." "Precursors" is another term for anabolic steroids. One of the loudest voices in the quest to clean up his sport, Gatlin said he was "particularly sensitive to this issue" because he tested positive in col- lege for a banned substance contained in Adderall, which he took to calm attention deficit disorder. He served a two-year ban in international competi- tion after that infraction, which means another positive test could result in a lifetime ban. "That experience made me even more vigilant to make certain that I (do) not come into contact with any banned substance for any reason whatsoever, because any additional anti-doping rule offense could mean a lifetime ban from the sport that I love," Gatlin said. The New York Times reported that Gatlin has positive results from both of his samples - unlike Landis, who is still waiting for results from the sec- 4 I Justin Gatlin may face a HIebme ban from track. ond half of his. Next, the findings will be reviewed by an independent review board. After that, the case could go to arbitration and Gatlin would have the right to appeal the arbitration. USADA CEO Terry Madden released a statement Saturday that made no men- tion of Gatlin. "USADA will not comment on the facts of any active case since the rules we follow allow for a full and fair pro- cess prior to the details of any case being made public," Madden said. 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