Professional Cycling For the Fans - Contador tests positive

Clenbuterol. This year's TDF. Claims food contamination. Damn.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alberto-contador-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol

even if it were food contamination, they hold them responsible for what they ingest. looks like he is going to have his hands full with this one. i really dont like contador but i wish this wouldnt have happened. next years tour looks to be wide open.......


also, this will overshadow the worlds. couldnt they have waited til monday? i feel bad for the winner. this story will be bigger news if it goes the way it seems it will.

Wow, possible strip of recent TdF win and two year ban. Article says that experts also believe it to be a cause of food contamination. Not a huge fan, but his talent can't be ignored and if the alleged food contamination leads to a two year ban it would be terrible for the sport.

:popcorn:

I suspect his claim is going to be that the clenbuterol was in the food and made him sick, but we'll have to wait and see what he actually claims.

If the B sample comes back positive, then Riis and Team SaxoBank are screwed as Riis has put all of his (and his sponsors') eggs in Contador's basket. :bike2:

Wow, possible strip of recent TdF win and two year ban. Article says that experts also believe it to be a cause of food contamination. Not a huge fan, but his talent can't be ignored and if the alleged food contamination leads to a two year ban it would be terrible for the sport.

Actually that statement is from his publicist. No "experts" were quoted.

Riis has got to be pissed beyond all belief. If Alberto knew of this positive before he inked the deal with Saxo Bank he is guilty of fraud. I would like to know how this substance could get into someones food. I think the food line is unlikely. But I hope that it is true. If this substance were in food it is more likely that someone hoping to do harm put it there.

but his talent can't be ignored and if the alleged food contamination leads to a two year ban it would be terrible for the sport.

Grow up, and join the real world

:popcorn:

Indeed. To get this started:

No wonder Lance didn't beat him in 2009!

:innocent:

Actually that statement is from his publicist. No "experts" were quoted.


"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, making it possible to define precisely both the time the emergence of the substance as the tiny amount detected, ruling out any other source or intentionality."

That's straight from the article. It doesn't even sound like all that useful of a drug. If you're gonna risk doping, you might as well go all out. No sense taking a very small amount of a drug that may not even help much.

Seems like the food contamination holds water.

"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, making it possible to define precisely both the time the emergence of the substance as the tiny amount detected, ruling out any other source or intentionality."

That's straight from the article. It doesn't even sound like all that useful of a drug. If you're gonna risk doping, you might as well go all out. No sense taking a very small amount of a drug that may not even help much.

Seems like the food contamination holds water.

He won a 21 stage, 92 hour long race by 39 seconds, all of which was gained due to a single mechanical failure. What do you mean no small amount of drug would help much?

But I hope that it is true. If this substance were in food it is more likely that someone hoping to do harm put it there.

I repeat again: Grow up and join the real world

your arguement makes no sense. "go all out"? thats how you get caught. it is widely known that pro-cyclist dope and the way they get past it is by micro-dosing.

cant remember the exact article but a caught doper said that tiny doses of many drugs are taken because they will be out of your system by the time the next day rolls around. they rarely pull you out of the team bus in the middle of the night to test. so essentially you sleep through the drug and its gone in the morning. however you still recieve the benefits.

the uci has, instead of looking for drugs, started testing for elevated levels of hemocrit among other things. so if your rbc percent increases by a certain pre-determined amount, or testoterone, or whatever they are testing for is off, then they can just assume without having to find the drug.

going all out happened when they didnt have a test for epo. want proof Armstrong/everyone back in the day were doped? they were climbing in his era at 7+watts per kilogram on big climbs. this tour the max wattages on big climbs were 5.8-6.0 per kilo.

now they have to be more careful and micro-dosing and using less obvious drugs (like this case) seems to be a way around it.

It doesn't even sound like all that useful of a drug. If you're gonna risk doping, you might as well go all out. No sense taking a very small amount of a drug that may not even help much.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clenbuterol

""It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, central nervous system stimulation,
and an increase in blood pressure and oxygen transportation. It increases the
rate at which fats are metabolized, simultaneously increasing the body's BMR."

Riiiiggghhhht.
Not useful at all.:rolleyes:

I repeat again: Grow up and join the real world

+10

No, that statement is from his publicist. It was just copy pastaed into the article. Credible? Who knows. A panel of Contador assembled so-called experts wouldn't be my go to source.

Food contamination is certainly possible, its happened before. There are specific governmental guidelines for how to respond to Clenbuterol food contamination cases. The point is that doesn't matter. If food contamination was an acceptable excuse everyone would point the finger at the pork chop. Really boss. The pig was on EPO, 's not my fault! The only real question is how much was present and whether it was enough to have a chance at enhancing performance. Of course, the UCI has banned people before for minute trace amounts of banned substances that seemingly could not possibly produce any tangible benefit.

Where's the big "YAWN" icon ? Is this a surprise ?

After each race, declare a provisional GC, then give the awards 6 months later after the dust settles.

Andy Schleck is smiling somewhere in Europe............

"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, making it possible to define precisely both the time the emergence of the substance as the tiny amount detected, ruling out any other source or intentionality."

That's straight from the article. It doesn't even sound like all that useful of a drug. If you're gonna risk doping, you might as well go all out. No sense taking a very small amount of a drug that may not even help much.

Seems like the food contamination holds water.

reread the section youre quoting, the quotes around that section indicate they are quoting contadors PR statement, not that cycling news itself consulted experts.

...


"Alberto Contador is affected by a doping control at the last Tour de France on July 21, where it was found the substance clenbuterol," the automatically translated message reads.

"From the time of the first communication from the UCI, August 24, Alberto Contador alleged food contamination as the only possible explanation of what happened and has been turned over to the cyclist authorities since then in the confidence that this very serious problem could be clarified, which now is public."

"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, making it possible to define precisely both the time the emergence of the substance as the tiny amount detected, ruling out any other source or intentionality."

...

Riis has got to be pissed beyond all belief.

Bad karma

Andy Schleck is smiling somewhere in Europe............

Out celebrating with PEBs with O'Grady perhaps?

Andy Schleck is smiling somewhere in Europe............

Or thinking therefore but the grace of god....

Recall Pereiro didn't exactly celebrate particularly at first.

I repeat again: Grow up and join the real world

What do you mean "grow up"? I know full well that what I would like is the least likely scenerio. Funny thing though, I'm setting at the laundry-mat typing this on their wi-fi because my washroom is down. They are showing a sports program on tv about doping in sports.

Andy Schleck is smiling somewhere in Europe............

Or really nervous ... pacing back & forth

What do you mean "grow up"? I know full well that what I would like is the least likely scenerio. Funny thing though, I'm setting at the laundry-mat typing this on their wi-fi because my washroom is down. They are showing a sports program on tv about doping in sports.

I mean the comments to which I responded which indicate a belief that this is likely the result of food posioning are extremely naive.

Food contamination? Personally, I've never seen a person grab an Albuterol brownie in the middle of an asthmatic episode.

Oh yeah and ...:popcorn

As if most of the pro cycling field isn't doping. I'm embarassed to have paticipated in this sport. I raced Juniors 77-79, was at the OTC Christmas of 78 with all the top Juniors. Look at the differences in times between 78 and 79 25 mile Jr TT Nationals. It's clear to me that doping was going on then.

Tell me how Floyd's a liar and Lance is Snow White, I need a fairy tale...Oh, yeah, Andy and Greg were clean too...sure, where's the tooth fairy?

Very weird: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation

From the UCI: “The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0.00000000005 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

Very weird: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation

From the UCI: “The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0.00000000005 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

Levels this low could have been gotten anywhere. There are toxic chemicals and drugs in all waters and places of the world in much higher concentrations than this. In all likelihood, levels this low would probably not be from intentional ingestion. There is a point where you cannot separate unnatural substances in the body out of the noise of pollution in the world. And in the modern world everyone's body is full of pollution.

"From the time of the first communication from the UCI, August 24, Alberto Contador alleged food contamination as the only possible explanation of what happened and has been turned over to the cyclist authorities since then in the confidence that this very serious problem could be clarified, which now is public."And from Lance's Twitter on August 24th.

And now it all makes sense... 9:00 AM Aug 24th (http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong/status/21994890946) via Twitter for BlackBerry® (http://blackberry.com/twitter)Man, that guy holds a grudge and doesn't forgive/forget. I can't believe he held it in and just posted some cryptic message on twiter.
:popcorn:

Very weird: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation

From the UCI: “The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0.00000000005 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

I think it's because the presense of clenbuterol is related to other substances

Somewhere in Europe Andy Schleck is saying "WTF" is a picogram

And from Lance's Twitter on August 24th.
Man, that guy holds a grudge and doesn't forgive/forget. I can't believe he held it in and just posted some cryptic message on twiter.
:popcorn:

Wasn't that in response to Floyd filing "whistle blower lawsuit" against Lance?

Somewhere in Europe Andy Schleck is saying "WTF" is a picogram

No he knows metric

I just HATE when clenbuteral gets in my food. This one time, I even had testosterone drip right off a sweaty guy into my diet coke and I got a positive test that way too. One other time, I got **** on by a super fast pigeon and they nailed me for epo. Like I would ever take that stuff! I swear, it was the pigeon.

Very weird: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation

From the UCI: “The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0.00000000005 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

And this:

“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.

Somewhere in Europe Andy Schleck is saying "WTF" is a picogram:lol::lol::lol::lol::roflmao2::roflmao2::lol::lol:

Apparently it's also used as a weight loss drug in the 50-200 mcg dosage range. So the detected amount was pretty low; 50 nanograms/liter and say 5 liters of blood means 250 nanograms ~ 1/2000th of a dose. Of course that could mean nothing depending on where in the body it accumulates and how long it remains. Contador could have been using it to cut weight leading up to the tour figuring that by the time he would be tested it would be long gone from his system. And then to his surprise the test was able to detect it in a concentration 1/400th of the standard.

LOL @ Lance's twitter. How did you even remember that?

Can't say I'm surprised, upset, or disappointed. Frankly, I just don't care anymore. I've become de-sensitized to being upset about athletes getting busted for anything. I'm just moving on to the next race.

LOL @ Lance's twitter. How did you even remember that?

Saw it on another site (Slowtwitch). Though I find it hard to believe Lance could keep his big mouth shut on the topic for an entire month considering their feud. May just be a coincidence.

its crazy that LA never got busted. he will take it to his grave, but man o man what a story he could tell about his lies and deceptions and doping. carry on. later.

I do not buy the food contamination, but here's how it COULD easily have happened:

Outside of the USA, Clenbutoral is used to increase the lean meat yield in some animals. It's rest day, the team cook is shopping at some local market that sells "organic, supplement free meat". Some farmer, trying to make ends meet, has his vet treat all his animals, not just the ones going to regular stores, in order to get more out of the years slaughter. The amounts used are enough to make a difference, but not enough to be detected by the stores testing (if there even is any) before they slap the "hormone free" label on.

Could be completely easy to see how it would happen, but I dont buy it. He was microdosing, because he knew he had a fight on his hand with a younger stronger rider.

its crazy that LA never got busted. he will take it to his grave, but man o man what a story he could tell about his lies and deceptions and doping. carry on. later.

I've always thought it was interesting the number of riders that tested positive after leaving Johan Bruyneel run teams. But I don't recall any testing positive while on the team.

Apparently it's also used as a weight loss drug in the 50-200 mcg dosage range. So the detected amount was pretty low; 50 nanograms/liter and say 5 liters of blood means 250 nanograms ~ 1/2000th of a dose. Of course that could mean nothing depending on where in the body it accumulates and how long it remains. Contador could have been using it to cut weight leading up to the tour figuring that by the time he would be tested it would be long gone from his system. And then to his surprise the test was able to detect it in a concentration 1/400th of the standard.

LOL @ Lance's twitter. How did you even remember that?

The odd thing is that if this were the case you would expect all of his samples taken during the tour to have tested positive, I'm not an expert but I'm thinking that a dose this small could have been breathed second hand. If you were standing next to a friend or family member who used his/her inhaler several times and got a small smell of it. It could be enough to show up at this level. Does this drug work as a masking agent at this level for other drugs.

This substance is also a common contaminant in supplements. From Cycling news:

Cyclingnews spoke with expert Dr. Don Catlin of Anti-Doping Research, Inc. to find out.

"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.

I've always thought it was interesting the number of riders that tested positive after leaving Johan Bruyneel run teams. But I don't recall any testing positive while on the team.

In my opinion, that's because Johan and Lance are the best there are at doping. They also have left no stone unturned in maximizing performance and being careful. In this regards, Lance and Johan have no peers.

The odd thing is that if this were the case you would expect all of his samples taken during the tour to have tested positive, I'm not an expert but I'm thinking that a dose this small could have been breathed second hand. If you were standing next to a friend or family member who used his/her inhaler several times and got a small smell of it. It could be enough to show up at this level. Does this drug work as a masking agent at this level for other drugs.

This substance is also a common contaminant in supplements. From Cycling news:

Cyclingnews spoke with expert Dr. Don Catlin of Anti-Doping Research, Inc. to find out.

"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.

Yes, its very strange that such a small dose would have been detected in the middle of the race. But I'm not an expert on testing by any means, it just seems odd. But this wouldn't be the first odd looking positive test out there.


In my opinion, that's because Johan and Lance are the best there are at doping. They also have left no stone unturned in maximizing performance and being careful. In this regards, Lance and Johan have no peers.

Yes. Clearly the best doctors in the business.

It is certain that this is not an ordinary cut and dry doping violation. Look how long it took UCI and WADA to decide to announce the finding as positive. Even WADA and UCI claim that the investigation is ongoing because the levels are so low that accidental ingestion cannot be ruled out.

OK...if it's a positive test that occurred during the TdF then does he get the Landis treatment? Is he the 3-time TdF champion with an asterisk beside his name?

OK...if it's a positive test that occurred during the TdF then does he get the Landis treatment? Is he the 3-time TdF champion with an asterisk beside his name?


No. I think the organizers would outright strip him of the title and give it to Schlek than mess around with asteriks.