The powerful performance of Landis up to stage 16 of the Tour de France and his comeback in stage 17 is particularly notable given his hip ailment , osteonecrosis , which was revealed in an article in The New York Times during the 2006 Tour de France .
Days before the race , the Operación Puerto doping case forced Basso and Ullrich to withdraw , and Landis became one of the favorites to win Landis performance up to Stage 16 of the Tour de France and his comeback in Stage 17 is surprising because of his hip ailment , called osteonecrosis , which was revealed in an article in The New York Times during the 2006 Tour de France .