You know, as much as I was rooting for the guy, I was simply shocked by his performance in the critical stage after completely bonking in the previous stage.
I wondered what caused the turnaround myself, and as much as I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt I just can't. My first instinct was he did something, and his inconsistent reasons for testing high hasn't changed my opinion at all.
While I'm not a competetive cyclist, I ride quite a bit (well, not as much the last few years) so I'm not judging as someone who hasn't ridden a bike since they rode their Huffy when they were 12. His turnaround was unprecedented, and I just can't buy it was anything other than a result of taking something he shouldn't have.
This is a crazy Tour that is totally unpredictable. Landis, from the tears of La Toussuire is now again the favorite to win in Paris on Sunday.
Before stage 17 Liggett had said it was impossible for Landis to come back into contention. He was right about this being a crazy Tour.
The only problem with your notion is that artifically elevating the level of testosterone in the bloodstream won't affect short-term performance. The major effect of testosterone is to build muscle mass.
I think it is more likely a physiological effect from dehydration and/or stress.
What he is be accused of taking could not have affected his performance that day. High Testosterone levels enhance the benefit of training over time, they do not in themselves boost performance in any way.
This whole business stinks worse than French armpits.