Contador of Spain tested positive for a banned substance during the 2010 Tour de France, which he won. He vehemently rejected the charges in an emotional appearance at a press event Thursday. Contador defended himself from the possible loss of his title and a two-year suspension with the justification that ingesting bad animal meat was the reason for the test results.
Contador blames tainted meat
Alberto Contador, considered the world’s greatest cyclist racing today, tested positive on July 21, a day before the toughest mountain stage of the Tour de France. Wednesday, the International cycling Union released a statement about what was in his two urine samples, reports the New York Times. A weight-loss and muscle building substance called clenbuterol was what was found in his system. Thursday, Contador decided to come out and say that meat he had eaten at the hotel had to be drugged with this because he didn’t do it himself. He also claimed he couldn’t have done better with the substance anyway. He said the amounts found in his samples were too small to matter.
Contador has links with drugs
The next thing on Contador’s list is to clear his name of charges. The International Cycling Union suspended him, reports Cable News Network, from racing for a while. Most people in his sport are known for doping. In fact, Contador was linked to the 2006 Spanish blood-doping ring. He won the Tour de France in 2007. This was the first time he was able to do so. He joined a team prohibited from races because of drugging violations. This was in 2008, and the team was Astana. He won his second Tour title in 2009. Lance Armstrong, a seven-time winner, finished 3rd. So far, the only winner of the Tour de France stripped of his title after testing positive was American Floyd Landis.
A few experts believe Contador’s statement
Specialists seem to have a few sympathy for Contador assuming he really did examination positive because of impure meat. Universal Sports reports that clenbuterol is often given to chicken, cows and pigs to speed up growth. It accumulates in the liver and muscle tissue. Also many bodybuilders use clenbuterol. They will use it to try and burn off fat faster while building up their muscles. The drug also increases aerobic capacity by making more oxygen available to muscles. It aeffects the body similarly to amphetamines. This is only short term though. Dr. Andrew Franklin-Miller is a sports expert. He said that it would not be possible for Contador to be affected by animal meat with clenbuterol in it.
Citations
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/10/01/sports/cycling/01cycling.html?ref=sports
CNN
cnn.com/2010/SPORT/09/30/cycling.alberto.contador.banned/index.html?npt=NP1
Universal Sports
universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=494315.html
