Floyd Landis Speaks Out

Aug. 7, 2006 — -- In the wake of a second test confirming that his blood contained higher levels of testosterone than permitted, Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has changed his defense strategy to say he cannot explain the test results.

"That is where I got into trouble from the beginning," he told "Good Morning America." "All these reasons that have come up, we need to forget about that and let the experts figure it out.

"I was forced into that situation because of leaks and announcements by the UCI [Union Cycliste Internationale] themselves, against their own rules, by the way," he said."

Tour de France officials said they no longer consider Landis their champion -- and Landis' team has dropped him -- after a second test on his second urine sample Saturday showed elevated levels of testosterone.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told The Associated Press that runner-up Oscar Pereiro would likely be declared the new winner. The UCI, the sports governing body, will ultimately decide whether to strip Landis, who officially remains the 2006 Tour de France champion

Landis has repeatedly denied doping. In a statement after the second test results, he said he would fight to clear his name. He told "Good Morning America" that he never used any performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

"I have never taken any banned substance, including testosterone," Landis said in a previous statement. "I was the strongest man at the Tour de France, and that is why I am the champion. I will fight these charges with the same determination and intensity that I bring to my training and racing. It is now my goal to clear my name and restore what I worked so hard to achieve."

The UCI said it would ask USA Cycling to open disciplinary proceedings against Landis.

Documentation from test results will be forwarded to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which will then turn it over to a review panel. The USADA will ultimately decide if a two-year ban or another punishment is appropriate for Landis. He can accept the decision or begin an appeals process that can take up to six months and involve the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Both of Landis' "A" and "B" samples turned up a testosterone/epitestosterone ratio of 11:1 --