Oct 01 2010
Steroids in Steaks! Tour de France Champion Alberto Contador Believes After Clenbuterol Was Found on His System
The alleged doping of Lance Armstrong is not yet resolve and now another Tour de France Champion was given a provisional suspension for failing a steroid test in this year’s tour. Alberto Contador is facing a possible two year sanction if he failed to defend the positive test results. While Armstrong have not been caught using any performance enhancing drugs, Contador’s case is different. Anti-doping authorities found in his system a banned substance, a steroid.
In the case of Armstrong, the burden of proof lies on his accusers while Contador must defend himself to prove his innocence. But both cyclists have already tainted the whole sport of cycling. They have made people believe that cheating is common in their sport. They are considered as the best cyclists in the world (7 times for Armstrong and 3 times for Contador) but with these doping issues, their achievements may just become useless.
And as expected, Contador called a press conference and deny the allegation and questioned the positive steroid results. Anti-doping authorities found traces of Clenbuterol, an anabolic steroid which is also used in livestock as a growth supplement. The Tour de France Champion believes that it was due to the steak they bought from Spain which caused the positive result.
However, tour officials and the WADA don’t buy this alibi. They said that there is still no proof that steroids can be passed on to humans if they ingest contaminated meat. Clenbuterol is popular among bodybuilders and professional athletes because it helps build muscle and burn fat. It also increases the oxygen in the body which is a perfect supplement for cyclists like Contador. The cyclist is optimistic that he will be able to clear his name. “I think this is going to be resolved in a clear way. With the truth behind you, you can speak loud and clear, and I am confident justice will prevail,” he said during a press conference.
The spokesman of Contador, Jacinto Vidarte said in a statement that Contador’s case is purely caused by food contamination not an intentional doping. “The experts consulted so far have agreed also that this is a food contamination case, especially considering the number of tests passed by Alberto Contador during the Tour de France,” he said. However, it would be difficult for Contador to win his appeal. WADA officials are convinced that the presence of Clenbuterol in his system was not due to food contamination but was taken through supplements.
Meanwhile, the investigation on the doping case of Lance Armstrong is still on going. A long time friend of Armstrong, Stephanie McIlvain, appeared before a grand jury to testify against the 7-time Tour de France Champion. McIlvain’s testimony was centered on her carnal knowledge on Armstrong’s alleged admission that he used human growth hormone while he was in a hospital room in 2006. Former teammate Frankie Andreu and his wife claimed that Armstrong told doctors he had used performance-enhancing drugs.
Another witness was also called by the panel. The exercise physiologist of Team RadioShack, Allen Lim will give his testimony before a federal grand jury to give more information on the alleged systematic doping of Lance Armstrong. Federal investigators, headed by Jeff Novitsky, declined to give comments on the case.
[...] de France for example has been in the center of controversy because of Alberto Contador. He is the current champion in the tour but tested positive for steroids, a banned substance. In [...]
[...] did not commit any wrongdoing and the positive test for clenbuterol may be caused by inadvertently ingesting contaminated meat. While many people would not buy these arguments, the Mexican Federation supported these claims. [...]
[...] they eat particularly meat as the culprit in their failed steroid tests. Tour de France champion Alberto Contador tested positive for the steroid clenbuterol but the cyclist argued that it was caused by a [...]
[...] Tour de France champion Alberto Contador used meat contamination defense when he was tested positive for Clenbuterol. He alleged that the steroid found in his system was due to the contaminated meat from Spain. According to the AP, Contador was cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation. Dimitrij Ovtcharov, a German table tennis player, was also cleared by the anti-doping authorities. Ovtcharov also blamed the meat from China which he believes was contaminated with Clenbuterol. [...]
[...] a favorable ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). They appealed the doping case of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador when the latter was cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC). Contador claimed that the [...]