News broke today that Floyd Landis, the comeback king in the 2006 Tour de France, tested positive for levels of testosterone above the officially acceptable limit. I personally just think it means he has bigger balls than the average Tour de France rider, but the people in charge think otherwise. It’s important not to jump to conclusions here. He failed one test. There is a second test, called the B-sample, that can either prove that the first test was false or that the higher levels of testosterone occurred naturally. This can come about because, as reported, Landis takes cortisone shots for his hip injury and he drank a beer before the day he was tested. Both the cortisone and the beer can raise testosterone, as can just being an athlete performing at the limits of his or her endurance.

Before we throw our hands up and declare the sport of cycling totally corrupt and strip Landis of his yellow jersey, let’s wait for the B-sample results to come back. Think of it this way: after every stage, two riders automatically are tested for drugs – the stage winner and the overall Tour leader. Why would Landis, planning a comeback in stage 17, take drugs to help him win only to face a drug test after winning and risk throwing away his career? It doesn’t add up.

I’d also like to call attention to a total faithless whiner who happens to be the first great American cyclist. Of all people, Greg Lemond, two-time Tour winner and comeback kid himself, should give Landis his say and wait for the B-sample to come back. Instead, Lemond denounces Landis and laments the state of cycling. It’s also worth noting that Lemond recently slammed Lance Armstrong and is known for not being much of an Armstrong fan. I just think Lemond wishes he could have won six Tours. I have much respect for the guy that opened the doors of professional road racing to the US and who came back to win the Tour after a freak hunting accident, but seriously, that’s some lame shit.