According to this report over at Yahoo Sports Floyd Landis' "B" sample turned up traces of synthetic testosterone when follow-up tests were conducted on seven urine samples submitted by the Tour de France Champion. The article quotes from the French newspaper L'Equipe, where the report orginated.

Landis, who has continually maintained his innocence, claim that the tests should not have been conducted at all since his primary, or "A", sample tested negative for any banned substances. To further complicate matters, Landis' own "expert" was suppose to be allowed to witness the latest round of testing, but was barred from the room while the tests were conducted, despite an agreement that would have had him observe the testing process.

This latest twist in the story comes after a report a few months back that Landis' samples may have been mislabled, and someone else's samples were the ones actually being tested. Over the past ten months, there certainly has been a lot of back and fourths to this story. At this point, it's difficult to figure out who to believe. Clearly the French labs have issues with their testing process, that much is evident from other cases as well. But these samples testing positive doesn't bode well for Landis either. So, at this point, we either have a plot by the French to discredit another American cyclist, or Landis is guilty of using performance enhancing drugs. I'm not sure I'd rule out either option at the moment.

Thanks GoBlog!

The route for the 2014 Tour de France was unveiled in Paris yesterday, giving fans an opportunity to catch a glimpse at what we can expect next summer when the race returns for its 101st edition. As expected, Tour organizers have put some challenging elements into the various stages as they work hard to keep things very interesting for the riders and spectators alike.

Next year's TdF will begin a bit later than we're use to, getting underway on July 5 from Yorkshire in the U.K. After two stages across the Channel, the riders will head to Northern France where they'll have no less than nine sections, totally 15.4 km on cobblestones. Fans of the sport know that the cobbles are extremely dangerous and not especially popular with the Peloton. More than one rider has had their Tour dreams smashed on those rough roads in the early going, where most of the contenders just hope to survive.

With the rise of some exceptional climbers over the past few years the route planners are making sure they keep the riders challenged. There will be five mountain top finishes in the Alps and the Pyrenees, giving this year's champ Chris Froome and past champion Alberto Contador – both of whom were on hand for the course reveal – a chance to show off their climbing legs. The toughest of those days may be a slog up the Hautacam. The entire stage is just 145 km (90 miles) in length, but 40 km (24 miles) of that will be spent climbing.

Also a bit surprising is that there is only one individual time trail on the schedule. That leg is 54 km (33 miles) in length and will take place on the second to last day. As usual, the final day will belong to the sprinters on the streets of Paris and along the Champs Elysees.

I know that the race is still nine months off, but it's hard not to get excited when you hear about what's in store. I'm already looking forward to July!