CHATENAY-MALABRY, France, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A lawyer for 2006 Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has blamed testosterone/epitestosterone abnormalities in his client's urine on a French testing lab.
Attorney Howard Jacobs attributed the ratio abnormalities to a "gross error" resulting from "sloppy" work by the French lab LNDD, Bike Biz reported Tuesday.
Previous cases involving positive results from athletes have been overturned after LNDD was accused of making errors. A study by a Dutch lawyer revealed that the lab does not follow standard procedure for the handling of urine samples.
"Tests conducted on the athlete's 'A' and 'B' urine sample from Stage 17 of the Tour de France do not meet the established World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) criteria for a positive doping offense," Jacobs and his legal team said.
Landis hailed his lawyer's findings.
"I did not take testosterone or any other performance enhancing substance and I'm very happy that the science is confirming my innocence," Landis said. "I was relieved, but not surprised, when I learned that scientific experts found problems with the test."
