Will Iban Mayo race in 2008? Most likely “no” as his B-sample from the Tour de France has come back positive for EPO. The always reliable French doping lab in Chatenay-Malabry carried out both tests after a library in Ghent, Belgium found the B sample inconclusive. There’s some good, fair and impartial testing for you. 

How about Belgian rider Bjorn Leukemans? Mmm. No. Probably not. Testing of the B-sample of his urine taken just days before the World Championships has confirmed the positive analysis of synthetic testosterone. He has previously been certified as having naturally high levels of man juice, but his claims that he was having sex when the testers arrived adds a nice bit of humor to the story.

And… we can’t talk about doping without talking about Floyd. France’s anti-doping agency, the AFLD, says “No” and has banned Landis against competing in France until January 29, 2009. So, even if he wins his appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, he’ll still be sitting on the bench for the 2008 and 2009 TDFs.

Let me start by saying that I still believe Floyd. That said, I seriously wonder if a team would be willing to sign a contract with him given the highly sensitive environment around cycling right now. If, on top of that, they would have to consider that he would not be able to appear at the sport’s biggest event, he may not be worth the trouble. Of course, that said, I would be happy to see him tearing up the course at the Giro, the Vuelta and wherever else he might choose to appear.