WASHINGTON, July 27 - The mother of Tour de France cycling champion Floyd Landis said that he questioned his positive result on a doping test as "irregular" on Thursday and was discouraged by media coverage of the revelation.

"He talked to me in a lot of discouragement because of the media press that he's getting. But the fact is that there's nothing proven that anything is wrong with his test," Arlene Landis said after being in contact with her son.

She did not give his location. Landis pulled out of races in northern Europe in the last two days without giving any explanation and organizers of those events were unable to contact him.

"He said this test is so irregular and there's no reason why it wouldn't have shown up on other days he was riding if that was a fact," his mother said.

She was speaking to reporters outside her home in Farmersville, Pennsylvania, where the 30-year-old cyclist was born in a community of Mennonite Christians. TV video of her remarks was made available in Washington.

Landis's Phonak cycling team said on Thursday he had tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone in a test after his remarkable comeback last week in the 17th stage of this year's tour, which ended on Sunday.

If a second "B" sample confirms the result of the earlier sample, Landis is certain to be stripped of his victory.

"I'm not concerned. I think God is allowing us to go through this so that Floyd's glory is even greater," Arlene Landis said.