April 23, 2007 (Paris, France) – An analysis of the urine B samples from Floyd Landis (formerly with Phonak) taken during the 2006 Tour de France has confirmed the July 2006 positive test for synthetic testosterone according to CP, citing reports in the French daily l’Equipe. In the recent test, seven of Floyd Landis urine ‘B’ samples from the 2006 Tour were found positive for synthetic testosterone. Testing was done at the Chatenay-Malabry (LNDD) laboratory in France that originally tested Landis positive last year. Landis, who won the 2006 TdF, unsuccessfully fought to have the B samples analyzed at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) instead.

A statement published on Floyd Landis’ website (www.floydlandis.com/blog/) responds to this news with a text that begins: “Under the order of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Paul Scott, expert consultant to 2006 Tour de France champion Floyd Landis and observer at the illegal retesting of Landis’ already cleared Tour de France samples, was yesterday denied entry to the Laboratoire National de Dépistage du Dopage (LNDD) at Chatenay-Malabry. As such, the analysis of two samples was conducted without a Landis representative as witness. Such behaviour constitutes a clear and direct infringement of Landis’ rights while casting severe doubt on the integrity of an already dubious process.”

L’Equipe, which leaked the story, is one of the largest dailies in France and has a long association with the Tour de France. Pedal was unable to corroborate reports that it is currently owned by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) that also owns the TdF; it appears instead that the current owners are the Editions Philippe Amaury (EPA).