Earlier this afternoon the word came down that Alberto Contador has apparently tested positive for a banned substance during this summer's Tour de France. The substance in question, clenbuterol, is a bronchodilator specifically banned by the UCI's anti-doping rules. Contador has claimed this positive test is due to "food poisoning" and will supposedly give more details at a Thursday press conference. Later tonight, the UCI sent out a release that claimed the following...
“The UCI confirmed today that Spanish rider Alberto Contador returned an adverse analytical finding for clenbuterol following the analysis of urine sample taken during an in competition test on 21st July 2010 on the second rest day of the Tour de France. This result was reported by the WADA accredited laboratory in Cologne to UCI and WADA simultaneously.
“The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0,000 000 000 05 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”
“In view of this very small concentration and in consultation with WADA, the UCI immediately had the proper results management proceedings conducted including the analysis of B sample that confirmed the first result. The rider, who had already put an end to his cycling season before the result was known, was nevertheless formally and provisionally suspended as is prescribed by the World Anti-Doping Code.
“This case required further scientific investigation before any conclusion could be drawn. The UCI continues working with the scientific support of WADA to analyse all the elements that are relevant to the case. This further investigation may take some more time.
“In order to protect the integrity of the proceedings and in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI will refrain from making any further comments until the management of this adverse analytical finding has been completed.
There have been several other athletes implicated on clenbuterol doping including Team RadioShack sprinter Li Fuyu earlier this season, a Polish canoeist at the 2008 Olympics, and a world champion badminton player earlier this year. Jessica Hardy, an American swimmer who tested positive for clenbuterol at the 2008 Olympic trials, has also claimed that she had ingested it thru a sabotaged supplement. However, she ended up wasting a lot of time with lawsuits and ended up serving a doping suspension.
According to various sources, clenbuterol is often used illegally by athletes and body builders to help build slender muscle and reduce body fat. According to today's reports, Contador so far has only had his 'A' sample analyzed and we'll likely have to wait until the 'B' sample is tested.
Now before I pile on as another blogger automatically convicting Contador - right now all we have a positive test for a drug that others athletes have used to cheat with, we have a dubious excuse, and it appears we are walking down that same Floyd Landis path. Here's hoping we don't get too far down that path...or can this minute amount of drug be enough to get him off the hook? I'll reserve judgement until we know more...this one could last a while. I could see this case going all the way to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) or I could see it being dismissed within a couple of weeks by the UCI.
From 2006, here's a humourous look back on some of the best doping infraction excuses around...
So far, Lance Armstrong has been quiet on the subject on Twitter...but that can't last, can it?
1 comment:
The problem with cycling is that everyone is assumed guilty until proven innocent. So many other athletes have claimed they were wrongfully persecuted then proven guilty, that no one will believe his story. Just look at Floyd Landis.
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