The attorney for cyclist Floyd Landis took issue with the International Cycling Union for leaking the results of the Tour de France winner's positive "A" sample drug test, saying it breached the organization's own rules.
Results of the second or "B" sample are set to be released tomorrow, and until they are completed, "it should be strongly noted that there is not even a formal doping charge that has been filed against Mr Landis," attorney Howard Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he was "troubled by the actions of the UCI and how they have spoken out about this case, which is in direct contravention of the UCI's own rules and the World Anti-Doping Code."
"While there has been much speculation and reporting as to the cause of the `A' positive, the fact remains that the `B' sample has not been tested," he said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Landis showed a testosterone imbalance in an initial urine sample taken during the Tour de France. Both "A" and "B" samples were provided on July 20 after he sped his way back into contention by winning a tough leg of the race.
Last week, the UCI revealed that an unidentified cyclist had tested positive, but it refused to release the name until the backup sample had been tested. The next day, Landis' Phonak team said it was Landis who tested positive.
Jacobs said the UCI should have known the name would become public once the announcement of a positive test was made "due to the confidentiality breaches that have been previously noted by many at the French laboratory" where the testing took place.
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