Landis to ride in first event since Tour scandal
Cyclist ‘excited’ to test hip after surgery, not worried about doping probe
 Alessandro Trovati / AP file | Floyd Landis will have an arbitration hearing May 14 regarding his Tour de France title and doping allegations. |
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VAIL, Colo. - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis will compete in the Teva Mountain Games in June despite an ongoing doping investigation and hip surgery last year.
Organizers said Landis will participate in road bike and mountain bike stages of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge on June 2-3, which also includes kayak and trail running races.
Ian Anderson, a spokesman for the games, said the doping investigation did not deter organizers from inviting Landis.
“From the event’s perspective, he’s a big-name athlete that we are excited will be able to generate quite a bit of coverage for the event and hopefully raise quite a bit of money for a great cause,” Anderson said.
The event is a fundraiser for cancer research.
“I am excited to put my new hip to the test racing in the Rockies,” Landis said in a statement on his Web site. “This is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation at the same time.”
Landis, who underwent surgery on his right hip last September, also plans to compete in Colorado’s Leadville Trail 100, a 100-mile mountain-bike race in August.
At the 2006 Tour, Landis’ urine sample after a 17th-stage win was found to contain elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels. The 31-year-old cyclist faces a two-year ban and would be the first Tour rider to be stripped of the title if the doping allegations are upheld.
He repeatedly has denied doping and has an arbitration hearing scheduled for May 14 in California.
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