Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Slo-Mo Counterattack

USA Today reports that Floyd Landis is preparing a public defense against charges that he doped at the Tour de France:

Embattled Tour de France champion Floyd Landis is taking his case to the people this week with the release of an online presentation that lays out his probable defense against charges he illegally used doping products to win the race. Landis says he'll post the presentation and all documentation from his case on his personal website this week... Key points include:

• Officials at the World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in France wrote down urine sample numbers on testing forms that did not match Landis' rider-sample number. The incorrect number was covered over with correction fluid and Landis' number was overwritten.

The presentation also cites several other instances where the lab used incorrect numbers, including its own WADA identification code.

Whether Landis is guilty or innocent, I don't know, but the more I learn about this case, the more like WADA seems like the Keystone Kops with a chemistry lab.