Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared

Cycling News

Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared

By AP, with additional commentary by Roadcycling.com
Nov 9, 2010 - 5:34:21 AM

The head of the Spanish cycling federation is hopeful that Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will be cleared of doping in what is expected to be a drawn-out investigation.

The International Cycling Union asked the Spanish body on Monday to open disciplinary proceedings against the three-time Tour winner, who has been provisionally suspended.

"Personally, as the president of the cycling federation, I hope it's resolved in favor of the athlete. Not only for the benefit of the cyclist, but it would be good for cycling," Juan Carlos Castano told Spanish national radio late Monday night. "I've know him sine he was very young ... and I can't help but feel this empathy with Alberto Contador."

Contador - one of only five cyclists to win road cycling's three Grand Tours - risks losing his Tour title and facing a two-year ban.

Castano said the UCI's delay in providing documents had created doubts over the "complicated" case, which the 27-year-old cyclist claims came from contaminated meat.

"What's clear is this will be a complicated case due to all the documents we've received from the UCI," Castano said. "Usually once the results are known in the laboratory they are immediately sent to the Spanish federation's committee to open the case. This has taken three months and has created a lot of doubts in all senses."

Castano said the RFEC's four-person disciplinary committee will begin discussing the case on Wednesday. Spanish law gives the committee three months to reach a verdict before the case is turned over to Spain's national anti-doping agency. At that point, the UCI could also take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The UCI has submitted six times the normal amount of documents for the case, Castano said, while Contador's team had also submitted a high number of documents in his defense.

On Tuesday, Castano attempted to cut out any notion that Contador would receive favorable treatment.

"If Alberto has made a mistake then he will have to assume his responsibility because the competition committee will not show any favorable treatment because it's Contador," Castano said. "The rules will be applied and we'll try to be fair."

Castano expects the case to drag into the Court of Arbitration for Sport regardless of the outcome. The UCI, the World Anti-Doping Agency or Contador can go to CAS if unhappy with the outcome.

The UCI announced in September that Contador had been provisionally suspended after his urine sample taken on the July 21 rest day contained "very small" traces of banned anabolic agent clenbuterol. The UCI did not mention alleged high levels of plastic residue found in Contador's sample, which scientists believe can indicate a rider has received a transfusion of his own blood.

Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck stands to win the title if Contador is stripped.

"It doesn't really change anything. In one way it is good for cycling that it comes pretty quick," the Luxembourg rider told Belgium's VRT television network. "For me, I lost the Tour on the road and even if I stand in a few years in the books that I win the Tour, it is not like it will be a victory."

Contador, who won for the Kazakh-backed Astana team before signing with the Saxo Bank-SunGard team, has threatened to quit the sport regardless of the decision.

"The more time this takes the worst this is for everyone," Castano said, "and I think we've done a lot of damage to cycling during this time."

Spanish cyclists Ezequiel Mosquera and David Garcia are also being investigated after positive doping tests at this year's Vuelta a Espana.

Related articles

Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared - Nov 9, 2010 - 5:34:21 AM
UCI Wants Spain to Initiate Case Against Alberto Contador - Nov 8, 2010 - 1:42:37 PM
UCI Still Investigating Mosquera for Doping - Nov 6, 2010 - 10:15:39 AM
Court Upholds Alejandro Valverde's Doping Ban - Nov 5, 2010 - 1:26:17 AM
UCI Boss Pat McQuaid Wants Four-Year Bans for Dopers - Nov 1, 2010 - 2:23:29 PM
WADA Proposes Night Tests at Tour de France - Oct 29, 2010 - 2:55:56 AM
Alberto Contador May Quit Cycling, Mother Says - Oct 24, 2010 - 3:42:33 AM
USADA Cases Add More Layers to Cycling's Troubles - Oct 13, 2010 - 6:43:02 AM

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Team Saxo Bank Owner Bjarne Riis Says Alberto Contador Will be Cleared of Doping Suspicion

Team Saxo Bank owner and manager and former top cyclist Bjarne Riis says he believes Alberto Contador will be cleared of any doping suspicion.

Riis, who has hired the three-time Tour de France champion for next season, came to the defense of Contador, who has been provisionally suspended after a small concentration of the banned substance clenbuterol was found in a urine sample taken in July.

Riis says he believes Contador "is a clean rider" and that he trusted Contador's explanation that the drug came from a contaminated steak.

Contador signed a deal in August to compete for the Saxo Bank-SunGard team in 2011 after deciding to leave Astana.

The Spanish rider is in "good spirits," Riis said in an interview with the Politiken newspaper on Sunday.

"He has started to train again so we'll have something to work with, although the charge has hit hard."

In another interview, Riis unfortunately denied being in talks to sign blacklisted former Tour de France yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen of Denmark.

Rasmussen led cycling's showcase race in 2007 until he was kicked off his Dutch Rabobank team for lying about his training whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. He eventually received a two-year ban and is still blacklisted in pro cycling despite having served his sentence and despite never having tested positive for doping. Meanwhile, we are witnessing many formerly doped riders being welcomed back into pro cycling, but still Rasmussen appears unwanted.

Rasmussen, whose main appearance in Denmark in recent months has been in a televised dancing contest, has been linked several times to the team.

"There's been almost no contact [with him] and I will not sign Michael Rasmussen for Saxo Bank-SunGard," Riis told the Ekstra Bladet daily. "I want to reiterate that I hope Michael gets an opportunity to race again."

The interviews were published two days before Riis' official autobiography titled RIIS hits the shelves.

Although team rider Andy Schleck came second in this year's Tour de France behind Contador, Riis suffered a series of setbacks in 2010 with several of his key riders leaving the team.

The Schleck brothers quit to join a new Luxembourg outfit created by Riis' former longtime press assistant, Brian Nygaard, and his then-aide Kim Andersen. Teammates Fabian Cancellara, Jakob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady followed suit.

He signed Contador in August only to learn about the doping allegations weeks later.

Riis became a national hero in 1996 after winning the Tour de France.

Since his retirement from racing in 2000, he set up a team with some of cycling's big names: Laurent Jalabert, Carlos Sastre, Tyler Hamilton, Ivan Basso and Voigt, among others.

The Dane admitted in 2007 that he had used the performance-enhancing drug EPO from 1993-1998, including when he won the Tour de France in 1996.

That prompted sponsor Computer Sciences Corp. to end its eight-year relationship after several doping scandals. Danish Internet-based bank and Web trading platform Saxo Bank stepped replaced CSC in 2008.

"The book is telling my story, my truth," Riis was quoted as saying by Politiken.

"Nobody forced me, there were no requirements, I was not put under any pressure," Riis said about taking doping. "It was my own choice."

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Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared

Cycling News

Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared

By AP, with additional commentary by Roadcycling.com
Nov 9, 2010 - 5:34:21 AM

The head of the Spanish cycling federation is hopeful that Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will be cleared of doping in what is expected to be a drawn-out investigation.

The International Cycling Union asked the Spanish body on Monday to open disciplinary proceedings against the three-time Tour winner, who has been provisionally suspended.

"Personally, as the president of the cycling federation, I hope it's resolved in favor of the athlete. Not only for the benefit of the cyclist, but it would be good for cycling," Juan Carlos Castano told Spanish national radio late Monday night. "I've know him sine he was very young ... and I can't help but feel this empathy with Alberto Contador."

Contador - one of only five cyclists to win road cycling's three Grand Tours - risks losing his Tour title and facing a two-year ban.

Castano said the UCI's delay in providing documents had created doubts over the "complicated" case, which the 27-year-old cyclist claims came from contaminated meat.

"What's clear is this will be a complicated case due to all the documents we've received from the UCI," Castano said. "Usually once the results are known in the laboratory they are immediately sent to the Spanish federation's committee to open the case. This has taken three months and has created a lot of doubts in all senses."

Castano said the RFEC's four-person disciplinary committee will begin discussing the case on Wednesday. Spanish law gives the committee three months to reach a verdict before the case is turned over to Spain's national anti-doping agency. At that point, the UCI could also take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The UCI has submitted six times the normal amount of documents for the case, Castano said, while Contador's team had also submitted a high number of documents in his defense.

On Tuesday, Castano attempted to cut out any notion that Contador would receive favorable treatment.

"If Alberto has made a mistake then he will have to assume his responsibility because the competition committee will not show any favorable treatment because it's Contador," Castano said. "The rules will be applied and we'll try to be fair."

Castano expects the case to drag into the Court of Arbitration for Sport regardless of the outcome. The UCI, the World Anti-Doping Agency or Contador can go to CAS if unhappy with the outcome.

The UCI announced in September that Contador had been provisionally suspended after his urine sample taken on the July 21 rest day contained "very small" traces of banned anabolic agent clenbuterol. The UCI did not mention alleged high levels of plastic residue found in Contador's sample, which scientists believe can indicate a rider has received a transfusion of his own blood.

Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck stands to win the title if Contador is stripped.

"It doesn't really change anything. In one way it is good for cycling that it comes pretty quick," the Luxembourg rider told Belgium's VRT television network. "For me, I lost the Tour on the road and even if I stand in a few years in the books that I win the Tour, it is not like it will be a victory."

Contador, who won for the Kazakh-backed Astana team before signing with the Saxo Bank-SunGard team, has threatened to quit the sport regardless of the decision.

"The more time this takes the worst this is for everyone," Castano said, "and I think we've done a lot of damage to cycling during this time."

Spanish cyclists Ezequiel Mosquera and David Garcia are also being investigated after positive doping tests at this year's Vuelta a Espana.

Related articles

Spanish Cycling Chief Hopes Alberto Contador Will be Cleared - Nov 9, 2010 - 5:34:21 AM
UCI Wants Spain to Initiate Case Against Alberto Contador - Nov 8, 2010 - 1:42:37 PM
UCI Still Investigating Mosquera for Doping - Nov 6, 2010 - 10:15:39 AM
Court Upholds Alejandro Valverde's Doping Ban - Nov 5, 2010 - 1:26:17 AM
UCI Boss Pat McQuaid Wants Four-Year Bans for Dopers - Nov 1, 2010 - 2:23:29 PM
WADA Proposes Night Tests at Tour de France - Oct 29, 2010 - 2:55:56 AM
Alberto Contador May Quit Cycling, Mother Says - Oct 24, 2010 - 3:42:33 AM
USADA Cases Add More Layers to Cycling's Troubles - Oct 13, 2010 - 6:43:02 AM

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View the original article here

Team Saxo Bank Owner Bjarne Riis Says Alberto Contador Will be Cleared of Doping Suspicion

Team Saxo Bank owner and manager and former top cyclist Bjarne Riis says he believes Alberto Contador will be cleared of any doping suspicion.

Riis, who has hired the three-time Tour de France champion for next season, came to the defense of Contador, who has been provisionally suspended after a small concentration of the banned substance clenbuterol was found in a urine sample taken in July.

Riis says he believes Contador "is a clean rider" and that he trusted Contador's explanation that the drug came from a contaminated steak.

Contador signed a deal in August to compete for the Saxo Bank-SunGard team in 2011 after deciding to leave Astana.

The Spanish rider is in "good spirits," Riis said in an interview with the Politiken newspaper on Sunday.

"He has started to train again so we'll have something to work with, although the charge has hit hard."

In another interview, Riis unfortunately denied being in talks to sign blacklisted former Tour de France yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen of Denmark.

Rasmussen led cycling's showcase race in 2007 until he was kicked off his Dutch Rabobank team for lying about his training whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. He eventually received a two-year ban and is still blacklisted in pro cycling despite having served his sentence and despite never having tested positive for doping. Meanwhile, we are witnessing many formerly doped riders being welcomed back into pro cycling, but still Rasmussen appears unwanted.

Rasmussen, whose main appearance in Denmark in recent months has been in a televised dancing contest, has been linked several times to the team.

"There's been almost no contact [with him] and I will not sign Michael Rasmussen for Saxo Bank-SunGard," Riis told the Ekstra Bladet daily. "I want to reiterate that I hope Michael gets an opportunity to race again."

The interviews were published two days before Riis' official autobiography titled RIIS hits the shelves.

Although team rider Andy Schleck came second in this year's Tour de France behind Contador, Riis suffered a series of setbacks in 2010 with several of his key riders leaving the team.

The Schleck brothers quit to join a new Luxembourg outfit created by Riis' former longtime press assistant, Brian Nygaard, and his then-aide Kim Andersen. Teammates Fabian Cancellara, Jakob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt and Stuart O'Grady followed suit.

He signed Contador in August only to learn about the doping allegations weeks later.

Riis became a national hero in 1996 after winning the Tour de France.

Since his retirement from racing in 2000, he set up a team with some of cycling's big names: Laurent Jalabert, Carlos Sastre, Tyler Hamilton, Ivan Basso and Voigt, among others.

The Dane admitted in 2007 that he had used the performance-enhancing drug EPO from 1993-1998, including when he won the Tour de France in 1996.

That prompted sponsor Computer Sciences Corp. to end its eight-year relationship after several doping scandals. Danish Internet-based bank and Web trading platform Saxo Bank stepped replaced CSC in 2008.

"The book is telling my story, my truth," Riis was quoted as saying by Politiken.

"Nobody forced me, there were no requirements, I was not put under any pressure," Riis said about taking doping. "It was my own choice."

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here