" The food spiking controversy comes amid renewed calls for cycling to be phased out of the Tour de France as it is now easily the least interesting thing about it."
I did think the other year when the oylimpics where on how many of team BG medels where win because off people didn't enter because there are better drug tests? Just a throught.
This time I actually side with Contador. The facts dont add up
Clenbuterol is a drug I know well for certain reasons, it has a long half life - 35 hours. The dose detected in him was SO tiny, assuming he'd taken the smallest possible dose (say 20mcg once - someone using it as a performance enhancer takes 40-140mcg a day for 2 weeks), it would have had to be in his system for quite some time. This would have been picked up in previous tests - especially as I assume he'd be tested daily on the tour.
There have been many stories of meat contaminated with Clenbuterol - it is common in China, and has occurred (albeit not as often) in Europe/US, so he could well have eaten contaminated meat. "But what about his team mates" - they too could have eaten it, but as the doses detected as SO small, they may have metabolised it quicker and therefore not shown up on their tests.
Not often would I stick up for a cyclist, but I think this time there is a genuine case for innocence!
I've read different things about how quickly it clears from the body - some people claim it's relatively quick - some not. I don't know what the truth is here but would it be possible for traces to survive in stored blood and then show up in a test when reinjected. That's been how some cyclists have been caught for other stuff in the past - they didn't realise that the blood they were storing wasn't 100% clean.
I think there are too many ifs, buts, maybes and just pure speculation going on with this at the moment to draw any relevant conclusions. so best left with UCI and all other relevant authorities and see what comes out.
I suspect that because the levels were so low they'll never be able to tell how they got there and Contador will be cleared. apparently the lab that did the test is the only one that can measure such low levels and if the test had been done elsewhere nothing would have been found. so how do you factor in inter-lab variation into the whole testing picture??
AC is my favourite rider, especially after he stuck it to Lance and his team in 2009 when they didnt support him. I would like to be a romantic and beleive that he is innocent. As FB says, there is lot of speculation. If the UCI clear him, I hope everyone gets off his case and just lets him ride. I am sure if they can find any reason to ban him, then they will as they seem to be happy to send out that message to other riders.
Comments
3 Spanish climbers announced positive today - Contador, Mosquera and David Garcia Dapena - oh dear !
Still the Spanish federation have been notably reluctant to pursue their dopers - it took Italy to ban Valverde - so they've probably had this coming.
" The food spiking controversy comes amid renewed calls for cycling to be phased out of the Tour de France as it is now easily the least interesting thing about it."
This time I actually side with Contador. The facts dont add up
Clenbuterol is a drug I know well for certain reasons, it has a long half life - 35 hours. The dose detected in him was SO tiny, assuming he'd taken the smallest possible dose (say 20mcg once - someone using it as a performance enhancer takes 40-140mcg a day for 2 weeks), it would have had to be in his system for quite some time. This would have been picked up in previous tests - especially as I assume he'd be tested daily on the tour.
There have been many stories of meat contaminated with Clenbuterol - it is common in China, and has occurred (albeit not as often) in Europe/US, so he could well have eaten contaminated meat. "But what about his team mates" - they too could have eaten it, but as the doses detected as SO small, they may have metabolised it quicker and therefore not shown up on their tests.
Not often would I stick up for a cyclist, but I think this time there is a genuine case for innocence!
I suspect that because the levels were so low they'll never be able to tell how they got there and Contador will be cleared. apparently the lab that did the test is the only one that can measure such low levels and if the test had been done elsewhere nothing would have been found. so how do you factor in inter-lab variation into the whole testing picture??
the whole doping issue is still a fecking mess