Landis' Tour of Elk Grove appearance unknown

By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor

Before the positive A sample of Floyd Landis at the Tour de France, and before Landis had won the Tour or even ridden his epic stage 17, the Phonak rider committed to appearing at the first annual Tour of Elk Grove race near Chicago - a new criterium race with a purse of more than $150,000. And after Landis' Tour victory, race director Nick Sepke was surely a little excited about committing the now Tour de France winner to appear at his race weeks earlier. However, since the revelations of the past week, the excitement over Landis' appearance has turned into a nervous waiting game.

"We are waiting like everyone else right now," Sepke told Cyclingnews. "Everything is scheduled as is right now, but it is to be determined, based on the outcome of the testing." Sepke said that he has not heard any changes in plans for Landis, who did not appear at some of the post-Tour criteriums he had committed to.

"We will find out Saturday and make a decision on Monday," said Sepke. "If everything comes out well, then we expect to have him. If something else happens we will have a discussion and have a contingency plan."