Contador Suspended

The Crunch · 30-09-2010 1:06am #1

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/5836/Alberto-Contador-positive-for-clenbuterol-at-Tour-de-France-team-claiming-food-contamination.aspx

Esroh · 30-09-2010 1:18am

Interesting as under EU veterinary regulations its banned from use in the production of beef.

It is used on Competition Horses for respiratory diseases. But I doubt he was having Horse Steak:D and would be banned in horses destined for Human Consumption.

'Traceability' should be easy as its one of the things that the EU has been Spending millions on for years even if it was fine Argentine/Brazillian beef

IM0 · 30-09-2010 1:36am

interesting given the last RS guy to get caught with this got a 2 year ban, athletes are responsible for what goes in their mouth so its back to can the organisation let another star rider choke, or will they save his bacon instead

c montgomery · 30-09-2010 1:55am

Andy Schleck is 15/8 to win next years tour on paddy powers. If your of the opinion that contador will be banned and you have some spare cash this could be easy money:D

Dinging · 30-09-2010 7:09am

According to Euronews Contador is attributing the failed test down to a suspect "steak".

kenmc · 30-09-2010 7:17am

oh no I hope they don't have to strip his title, cos then schleck will be the new champ. boring.

Lumen · 30-09-2010 7:20am

Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh!

On a more serious note, it's almost October now. Moaning from ignorance here, but surely it's technically possible to turn around these tests within a day or two? House would have it done in a jiffy.

uberwolf · 30-09-2010 7:20am

Dinging wrote: »

According to Euronews Contador is attributing the failed test down to a suspect "steak".

at least this explains why Roche sticks to pasta during grand tours

aidandoyle · 30-09-2010 7:25am

Quote from BBC
"The UCI followed Contador's statement with its own, confirming that the rider had been "formally and provisionally suspended as is prescribed by the World Anti-Doping Code" after both his A and B urine samples tested positive in a laboratory in Cologne, Germany.
However, the UCI said the concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms - 400 times less than anti-doping laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) must be able to detect."

Makes strange reading, I would have thought that what is important is where the values are with regards to the actual enforceable positive / negative threshold not where the value is with regards to the level that the lab must be able to detect. I wonder why the last sentance is even in the report - possible defence regarding minimal detectable levels etc.. being prepared?

Brian? · 30-09-2010 7:51am

aidandoyle wrote: »

Quote from BBC
"The UCI followed Contador's statement with its own, confirming that the rider had been "formally and provisionally suspended as is prescribed by the World Anti-Doping Code" after both his A and B urine samples tested positive in a laboratory in Cologne, Germany.
However, the UCI said the concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms - 400 times less than anti-doping laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) must be able to detect."

Makes strange reading, I would have thought that what is important is where the values are with regards to the actual enforceable positive / negative threshold not where the value is with regards to the level that the lab must be able to detect. I wonder why the last sentance is even in the report - possible defence regarding minimal detectable levels etc.. being prepared?

What I find very strange is that he tested positive for a stimulant on a rest day.

Was he wearing yellow at the time? If so he would have been tested the day before and after, the days he would have actually gotten some benefit from a stimulant. This is something going on here that isn't being said.

Could it be such a small amount that he is actually innocent???

amacachi · 30-09-2010 7:55am

I'm shocked.

TheBlaaMan · 30-09-2010 7:56am

Here

"Without knowing what the level [of clenbuterol] in his sample is, it's impossible to say," Catlin said. His laboratory works with supplement makers to detect drug contaminants, and Catlin said that clenbuterol is one of the more common contaminats found in supplements."

"However, the UCI's statement issued early Thursday, which made public the level of the drug (50 picograms/millilitre, or 400x less than the required limit of detection) indicates that the contaminated supplement defense may have some weight to it."

Diarmuid · 30-09-2010 8:12am

It's a stimulant which promotes muscle growth and fat loss.
It's also only detectable for 4 days in your body. (Source 2)

Doesn't look good for Contador.

Very strange how the UCI felt they needed to clarify how "little" clenbuterol was in his body. Fuyu Li didn't get the same treatment and he had 50-100pg/ml

Sound familiar? :

Fuyu Li - Response to Positive Test
Food Contamination of Clenbuterol may have sidelined the popular Chinese Champion - Expert backs claim of innocence...

Fuyu Li claims innocence, expert says contamination likely
Fuyu Li, the Chinese rider of team RadioShack, who was tested positive at Dwars door Vlaanderen (23rd of March), claims he did not knowingly take any banned substance. Li was tested positive for Clenbuterol.

The value that was found in Li’s sample, is extremely low. Ten to twenty times lower then a WADA/UCI laboratory must be able to detect, according to anti-doping expert Douwe de Boer:

“Laboratories must be able to find 1.00 ng/mL, while a normal threshold value is considered to be 2.00 ng/mL. The value of 0.05-0.10 ng/mL that was found in Fuyu Li’s body points clearly in the direction of a contamination. On top of that, such a low dose would not help his performance in any way.”

Fuyu Li got 2 years
.

Jawgap · 30-09-2010 8:30am

Explains why he was able to horse it up the mountains......

........I'll get me coat

Lumen · 30-09-2010 8:34am

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

"However, the UCI's statement issued early Thursday, which made public the level of the drug (50 picograms/millilitre, or 400x less than the required limit of detection)

That's the gas chromatograph Lance bought for the UCI.

It has a sensitivity dial that goes all the way up to "Contador".

Dave11 · 30-09-2010 8:49am

Can't believe this news! Is it ever going to stop. Going to be very interesting to see what they do to him....

RichTea · 30-09-2010 8:59am

Diarmuid wrote: »

It's a stimulant which promotes muscle growth and fat loss.
It's also only detectable for 4 days in your body. (Source 2)

Doesn't look good for Contador.

Very strange how the UCI felt they needed to clarify how "little" clenbuterol was in his body. Fuyu Li didn't get the same treatment and he had 50-100pg/ml

Sound familiar? :

Fuyu Li got 2 years
.

Thanks for that. Was wondering if Fuyu Li had a similar amount in his system. Well, the precedent is there so. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

MrCreosote · 30-09-2010 8:59am

Oh dear.

Rookie mistake from Alberto! You've just got to make sure your tranfusion blood is clean BEFORE you pump it in! I'd recommend a diary in future- then you can remember what you were juicing on when it was drawn off.

Tsk tsk!

Fender76 · 30-09-2010 9:20am

Bjarne Riis must be kicking himself....!

ednwireland · 30-09-2010 9:21am

amacachi wrote: »

I'm shocked.

what no wink smiley ?

really your shocked that a proffesional sportsman possibly doped (not i didnt say cyclist - i think that most profesional sports are affected by this problem)

will he get a suspension for that amount, i'm guessing the tour is out again next year (god we will have to put up with the schleck brothers complaining its too wet, bumpy or whatever)
surely riis is f***ed his new team is surely going to struggle now

my guess is that the defence will be based around contamination and that its not far above the noise level of the instruments, that sort of level needs a few labs to retest to confirm the level methinks (desperatly trying to remember analytical chemistry from my degree )

guardian website front page

Junior · 30-09-2010 9:26am

Its and interesting case alright, its a low level detection, it looks like it's a food contamination, but history is on the side of a 2 year ban, if he doesn't could Li appeal his ban ?

CheGuedara · 30-09-2010 9:30am

NickDrake knew all this last month....

[runs, hides]

TinyExplosions · 30-09-2010 10:03am

Lumen wrote: »

On a more serious note, it's almost October now. Moaning from ignorance here, but surely it's technically possible to turn around these tests within a day or two? House would have it done in a jiffy.

House might have it done in a jiffy, but then it'd be all over the news that Contador has in fact got Lupus... no cancer.... no a rare Lymph condition.... no, a bad cold

RobFowl · 30-09-2010 10:05am

Boll*cks not again :mad:

ednwireland · 30-09-2010 10:17am

ffs another one
mosquera 2nd in the vuelta positive

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=31033

signed for vacansoleil didnt he

Russman · 30-09-2010 10:18am

RobFowl wrote: »

Boll*cks not again :mad:

Exactly

TinyExplosions · 30-09-2010 10:37am

Hmmm, so Bertie is claiming a contaminated Spanish steak... them bloody farmers don't know what they're doing I tell ya!

The part that's slightly worrisome for me is that the UCI are making a big fuss over the amounts found, which makes me wonder if they're pre-preparing for the criticism they'll face when they don't ban him, regardless of Fuyu Li's fate.

Vélo · 30-09-2010 10:42am

The dirty lying cheat.

Go Armstrong:D.

Chips Lovell · 30-09-2010 10:43am

When Fuyu Li got done for it, I remember thinking that it appeared a bit of an amateurish doping effort. The Contador thing is odd.

On the one hand, it has been documented that Clenbuterol can contaminate food.

On the other, two riders, in two top level teams test positive for exactly the same drug in exactly the same amounts. Hmmm.

mitresize5 · 30-09-2010 10:46am

Shock, Horror - Top cyclist in doping scandal.

While I love watching cycling as a spectacle the sport is completely discredited (at the pro level anyway) for a long time now and will be for a long time in the future.

Not until I see normal sized men, not heroin chiq thin skeletons hauling there asses over mountain ranges in hours more than it is taking them now will I believe the sport is clean.

Lumen · 30-09-2010 10:49am

mitresize5 wrote: »

Not until I see normal sized men, not heroin chiq thin skeletons hauling there asses over mountain ranges in hours more than it is taking them now will I believe the sport is clean.

What's thinness got to do with doping?

There are some boardsies who are borderline TdF-skinny. Are you suggesting they dope?

Contador Suspended

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