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Contador says it again: "I may quit for good if sanctioned"

Suspended rider continues to protest his innocence

An increasingly angry, frustrated and bitter Alberto Contador yesterday reiterated his complete innocence in the “meatgate” affair and took a swipe at his former team, Astana, for failing to stand by him since the story broke.

Contador is in danger of being stripped of his third Tour de France title and receiving a two your ban from competitive cycling after traces of clenbuterol - which he says he ingested through tainted Spanish beef - were found in his system.

The Spaniard gave an interview to national broadcaster TVE yesterday and, speaking about his innocence, said: “I have not had even a second of doubt. At no time have I done anything irregular.”

He also again suggested that if sanctioned there would be no guarantees that he would ever come back to the sport. “It’s too early to say but I can’t give assurances that I would continue,” he said.

Meanwhile Contador’s insistence that contaminated Spanish beef is the root of his problems has, unsurprisingly, not gone down well with the country’s meat industry. In a famously carnivorous nation, the impugning of Spain's meat producers by one of the nation’s most famous sportsmen has prompted a call for a formal inquiry by those involved in sating the country's appetite for animal flesh.

In particular, beef producers have effectively told Contador to put up or shut up. Rather than hearing unsubstantiated allegations being made through the media they want a proper inquiry to be launched, with any allegations formalised so they can be fully and scientifically investigated.
 

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Marky Legs | 13 years ago
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At the end of the day it was, I believe, an incredibly small amount. Would that amount have been able to increase his performance? How did it relate to his so called passport? Is it overkill?

I don't condone drugs in any sport - it's cheating plain and simple - but there needs to be some sort of common sense over this kind of thing.

Also, why is it taking so long to take action. Either he's taken drugs or he hasn't. I fully understand his frustration

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Karbon Kev | 13 years ago
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is that a threat or a promise? just wondered ....

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eddie11 | 13 years ago
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isn't this the same threat that vinokourov used? didn't do him much good, just got a longer ban.

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KirinChris | 13 years ago
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@Vorsprung:

Would you propose challenging the principle that every athlete is responsible for what they consume ?

It was introduced to stop the defence that "I must have taken it in a cough mixture prepared by my grandma/shaman/homeopath".

That's the hook that Contador is caught on - it's not a 'false' result it's an inadvertent result (if you believe him).

If you let him off then you open up a defence for deliberate drug cheats, even assuming he is motivationally innocent.

If he had a genuine regard for anti-doping he would recognise that - the fact that he doesn't makes me even more suspicious.

Shane Warne was banned from test cricket because he took some weight loss pills given by his mum, allegedly. It ended his chance of being the highest wicket taker in history but I don't recall him threatening to quit for ever.

Whether Contador meant it or not, he now has to sit and accept his punishment. And if he doesn't, well, sod off then monkey boy.

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vorsprung replied to KirinChris | 13 years ago
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abudhabiChris wrote:

Whether Contador meant it or not, he now has to sit and accept his punishment. And if he doesn't, well, sod off then monkey boy.

We can all make a list of the great riders that won the TdF and used drugs. We can make this list as most of them did. But now I will be following a cycle race and see the winner and inevitably shortly after there will be accusations and the person I thought had won in the spectacle hasn't.

I don't know the answer to the "drug problem" but if I wanted to watch something where the results all happened in a Laboratory I'd be an avid follower of CSI, not Pro bike racing.

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KirinChris replied to vorsprung | 13 years ago
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If it's true that a large number of riders take drugs then you are already watching something where the results happen in a laboratory. Balco perhaps ?

Same scenario, just one you know about and the other is hidden.

Unless you are arguing that drugs should be permitted without restriction so there is a level playing field, in which case I agree entirely.

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alotronic | 13 years ago
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New regime: All food is bought a year before it's needed. An innocent citizen is used as a taster and is tested weekly for any trace drugs. This food is double-sampled by WADA as is the tester. Food is then 'cleared' and frozen and stored by WADA in very large trucks with armed guards. This food then follows the Tour around and is distributed under guard to teams who are (literally) locked into rooms to eat.

Problem solved, no more worries about tainted food.

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Dog72 | 13 years ago
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Re Landis, I was taking the piss.. Sorry.
Anyway back to my original question
how easy would it be to taint a riders meat?
I mean could someone creep up & fiddle with it without getting caught?

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vorsprung | 13 years ago
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@Dog72 Landis did not hold his "hands up when caught" he pursued a court case and started a fund with donations from fans to bankroll it. It was only later when he wanted to piss off LA that he revealed his past of drug use. I lost interest at this point so I don't know if he also admitted that he'd doped before that particular TdF stage

What the "sod off then monkey boy" posts seem to be missing about the Contador story is that there are two possibilities for a young, keen, talented, nascent rider looking to follow a career as a Pro.

First, everyone uses drugs and have to to get to the top. But at any time a drug user can be expelled, even though they are just doing what everyone else does.
Second, if you don't use drugs you will eventually get sanctioned with a false positive

I'm not saying which I think is more likely in the Contador case but anyone considering being a Pro cyclist would probably be sensible to just forget it with the current way of doing things.

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Dog72 | 13 years ago
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Is there a chance he could have been stitched up by another party? How secure is the riders food? He seems pretty adamant he's innocent, most riders hold there hands up when caught, look at Landis.

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gazzaputt replied to Dog72 | 13 years ago
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Dog72 wrote:

Is there a chance he could have been stitched up by another party? How secure is the riders food? He seems pretty adamant he's innocent, most riders hold there hands up when caught, look at Landis.

Landis fought tooth and nail for years he was innocent. It was only his own bitterness that forced him to cough up.

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PzychotropicMac | 13 years ago
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stick to your word Bertie and get lost. How will cycling survive without you?

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Tony Farrelly | 13 years ago
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"may" being the operative word there

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gazzaputt | 13 years ago
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Do you think this like the Simon Cowell bluff if Wagner wins XFactor he'll leave the country?

All I can say Bertie that if it is proved you cheated then off you go and enjoy your ill gotten gains.

You won't be missed.

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purplecup | 13 years ago
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bless. we'll miss you, bertie  22

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stephen sherry replied to purplecup | 13 years ago
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meat was taken from Spain and taken into France (illegal under EU law)  14 , he had a blood transfussion during the tour (illegal)
Pro cyclist`s know not to eat meat on rest days for the fear of getting fat. contador is a class rider but the guy made a lot of mistakes and now has to pay the price.
Abdujaparof was found with the same substance and BANNED FOR LIFE. accept the fact Contador and tell the truth. 2 year ban is better than a lifetime ban.  20  20  20  20

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