Now we know...not much

The B Sample test is done, and the UCI announce, as expected, that it confirms the finding of the A sample. Since we don't know officially about the details of what was found in the A sample, we don't have any more useful data than we had a few days ago when the last of the leaks happened. We also don't have any of the lab data of any of the other 20 tests Landis has done this year, from which to do any interpretatation. This is the data needed to mount a defense.

The immediate effects are that Phonak has cut ties with Floyd, so he needs to fund his defense without a paycheck, the UCI will likely void his TdF results, and it gets referrred to the USADA for processing. This is likely to take 4-6 months at best, but could take longer as we saw with Hamilton.

We can only hope that the defense is better than that offered for Hamilton, where it did not appear that any tests were performed to confirm the alternate theories. Absent hard data, it is difficult to challenge the test methodology or the conclusions that follow. Tyler never ran his own tests to show a chimera, or if he did, the results were bad and got buried. Floyd is going to need to do the tests he's offered, and be open with the results.

There are two goals in play -- the legal appeals, and the public opinion and credibility. To win the appeal but not the image will leave him with a cloud. To lose the appeal while being the direct Floyd folks have know admits the possibility of a welcomed return.