Armstrong backs Landis in attacking French lab

NEW YORK – Lance Armstrong applauds Tour de France champion Floyd Landis’ decision to publicly share his mistrust of the French lab involved in his doping investigation.\n“I think it’s a good tactic to share that with the public,” the seven-time Tour de France winner said Wednesday. “I believe in Floyd, I believe he hasn’t had a fair shake. I don’t trust the lab.”\nDuring the 2006 Tour, Landis tested positive for elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels after he won the 17th stage. Landis, who has repeatedly denied doping, faces the loss of his title and a two-year ban if an arbitration panel upholds the positive test.\nOn Monday, the French newspaper L’Equipe reported the follow-up tests on Landis’ samples found traces of synthetic testosterone.\nLandis has accused the Chatenay-Malabry lab outside Paris, which conducted the follow-up tests and did the tests for the Tour, of testing irregularities.\nThe lab is accredited by the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency.\nArmstrong, who has withstood doping allegations throughout his career, was in New York City on Wednesday to announce his partnership with the Athletes for Hope charity and to receive the Spirit of Jimmy V award. The honor is named for the late Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State basketball coach and commentator who died of cancer.\nThough retired, Armstrong’s still involved with the Discovery Channel cycling team, for which he rode for his final Tour victory in 2005.\nHe said American Levi Leipheimer might move into Ivan Basso’s spot on the team now that the Italian Olympic Committee has reopened its doping investigation against him.\n“We said that all along, if there was another issue, then we would do that,” Armstrong said of the team’s decision to sideline Basso during the investigation. “So we’re living up to our end of the deal and our word.”