News
Who will wear the Golden Fleece in London?
Carlton Reid May 24 2007, 7:00am
The Floyd Landis hearing results might not be in until after the Tour de France has started. Oscar Pereiro, runner-up in last year's race, might have hoped he'd be wearing the yellow jersey on the London prologue but this now looks unlikely.
The Floyd Landis hearing finished yesterday in California.
The athlete's legal team focussed on the science and said international lab standards had been breached and that poorly trained lab technicians had reported false positives.
USADA said all the WADA witnesses were reliable (accordind to WADA rules, WADA experts are prohibited from testifying for an athlete) and that the LNDD lab technicians were not "evil geniuses".
USADA counsel's closing statement also went large on non-scientific testimony, including that of rider Joe Papp, who admitted to drug use (although it clearly didn't benefit him much because his Palmares aren't stellar). USADA's counsel also said the Lemond mess, caused not by Landis but by his manager, proved Landis had a win-at-all-costs character, hence he must be a doper.
The closing statements can be read on Trust But Verify. Many news sites have linked to this blog during the hearing and TBV put on 200, 000 readers during the nine days of the hearing.
TBV correspondent Bill Hue - a Wisconsin judge - believes the final result won't be known for at least two months. If so, the 2007 Tour de France, which starts in London on July 7th, will be without a champion and Pereiro will be unable to wear the yellow jersey on the prologue time trial.
