Alberto Contador brands drugs appeal 'ridiculous'

Alberto Contador claims it is "ridiculous" that he has to start the Tour de France knowing he could be stripped of the event if he wins.

The Spaniard still has an appeal for a positive drugs test hanging over him. He failed a doping test on his way to victory in last year's Tour, but later cleared. He is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the decision to clear him.

He said: "From the beginning of the season I've been the rider who's had the most doping tests, and I've been tested in all the races I've been in.

"The idea victory could be taken away if I win, I just find ridiculous."

Contador is aiming to become the first rider since Marco Pantani 13 years ago to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double

Contador tested positive for clenbuterol during last year's Tour. The Spanish federation cleared him of wrongdoing, but the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency are appealing against that verdict.

A verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport will not come until August at the earliest, so Contador could have any yellow jersey to lose by the time the case is heard.

The 28-year-old admits his form is a little surprising given his efforts in Italy.

Contador said: "As time goes by, I feel more and more rested [after the Giro] but I'm still a bit in the dark because all I did was rest.

"I don't know how I will respond. Undoubtedly, [compared to those who did not ride the Giro], I lack physical but also mental freshness.

"I'm very conscious of the fact there has been more pressure on me off the bike, but all I can try and do is fully concentrate on the race.

"I have to try not to lose focus and get on with what needs to be done to win."

 

I listened to some of the coverage on tv today, a lot of people are a tad disappointed that Contador has not stood down until the situation is resolved, that said it has taken an extraordinary amount of time to resolve the issue. Whilst it is repeatedly being said that he must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and allowed to compete, apparently the organisers could have told him not to compete whilst he is under investigation. There is a rule that says in certain circumstances that may bring the race into disrepute, the rider should not compete, this rule has not been applied for the last few years. What a lot of confusion could result from all this, if Contador did win this year he could subsequently be stripped of two titles.

 

The verdict has been announced and ALberto Contador is set to lose his 2010 title in a two year ban from August 2010 that will last to August 6 this year. He will also therefore miss this year's tour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/16905217

IMHO this is crazy. The amount of Clenbuterol found in Contador is so minute. I think Eddie Merckx provides a more balanced view on this

"I am disgusted. I would like other sports to go and try to find minute traces of clenbuterol. It's another huge blow to cycling. It is a sad day for Contador and cycling. Someone wants to kill off cycling completely. The level of clenbuterol was minute and only in cycling would this kind of case be brought about. Contador does not deserve this treatment. I'm the first to say we need testing but we've gone too far."


Alberto Contador is no cheat.

 

Even as an amateur cycling fan, I can tell "contaminated meat" is the most overused excuse... If there's so much of it out there, how come the "rubbish" riders don't seem to have eaten any?

On a side note, surely it is better to have better testing done? All you hear in the news is appeals and speculation... How about cyclist samples are tested so rigorously by an independent and impartial body that appeals are invalid? Test for everything.

At the moment, all I see happening is that cyclists are questioning internally motivated organisations with little coherent procedure, and seemingly licensed to "go after" certain cyclists, and chaos reigning as a result.

Even though several high profile cheats have been caught, basically an average joe like me is still left puzzled over who is and isn't a cheat.