Ex-Champ LaMond: Landis in a Tough Spot

Aug. 5, 2006 — -- Before Lance Armstrong, before Floyd Landis, there was Greg LeMond. He won three Tour de France titles between 1986 and 1990 and now worries about the future of cycling.

"I'm incredibly disappointed," LeMond told ABC News. "I really feel bad for his [Landis'] family. Floyd is going to have to go through a difficult period here. I hope that he could actually have the courage to come forward and help the sport right now. I think that's what is really needed. We need transparency, because by taking Floyd out, you're just taking one part of the problem out."

The International Cycling Union said Landis' backup urine sample confirmed the initial test results that showed higher-than-allowable levels of testosterone.

Landis was immediately released from the Swiss team, Phonak, and the Tour de France director said he is considered the race champion. Landis also faces a two-year ban from the cycling, but he continues to deny any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name.

"I have never taken any banned substance, including testosterone," Landis, 30, said in a statement. "I was the strongest man at the Tour de France, and that is why I am the champion."

Earlier this week, the New York Times, citing a source from the International Cycling Union, reported that a second analysis of Landis' "A" sample had detected synthetic testosterone that could only have originated externally. Landis' personal doctor, Brent Kay, also confirmed to the Times that the test found the man-made hormone.

According to LeMond, Landis is just the tip of the iceberg, and the doping problem extends to teams, managers and suppliers of doping products.

"I think it's a wake-up call," he said. "There's an underlying problem for years, surfaces [every] one or two years, hurts me incredibly. It's almost where I don't know what to believe in the sport. It will take this type of shock to cycling to help clean it up."

Even still, LeMond said that the cycling community is much more vigilant about anti-doping efforts than other sports and is more aggressive when it comes to testing.