Tour de France star finds hope in the case of German table tennis player
Tour de France winner Alberto Contador remains confident despite facing a ban due to a doping positive for Clenbuterol.
Contador wrote on Twitter Wednesday, “Ahora mas que nunca…’Querer es Poder.’ Now more than ever…’Where there is a will, there is a way.'”
The message contradicts his statements earlier in the week when he said that he is considering quitting cycling regardless of the UCI’s decision. The UCI is reviewing his urine samples from the Tour de France and trying to determine if Contador has reason, that the Clenbuterol came from contaminated Spanish meat.
He may have gained confidence from the decision by Germany to clear table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharov for a similar Clenbuterol positive. German Ovtcharov also claims that his positive came from eating contaminated meat while at a tournament in China.
Bjarne Riis had already signed Contador to lead his Saxo Bank team for the next two seasons prior to the scandal. He told Danish newspaper Politiken Friday that Contador is confident.
“I had a long talk with Alberto Contador, and he actually sounded very optimistic,” said Riis. “No doubt it was because the German [Ovtcharov] had just escaped punishment.”
Clenbuterol is used to help prevent animals getting fat. Cases of contaminated meat in China are much more likely than in Europe. According to AP, the European Union tested 83,203 animal samples in Europe – 19,431 samples from Spain – between 2008 and 2009. Only one sample was contaminated, and it was not from Spain.
“I still believe that Alberto is innocent and I think it will be a terrible injustice if he is convicted,” added Riis.
“I still do not know what the outcome will be and so I cannot make practical plans for next season.”
Riis hired three-time Tour de France winner Contador in August to replace Andy and Fränk Schleck, who will race for a new team in their home country of Luxembourg. Along with Contador, he hired three of his Spanish helpers: Benjamin Noval, Dani Navarro and Jesús Hernández. If Contador is banned, he will likely lose his Tour de France title and Riis will be without a race leader.
After the UCI reviews the case, it will be up to the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) to issue a ban. Contador could appeal any ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Mike Morgan, a British lawyer who previously sat on the CAS panel, supports Contador’s contaminated meat theory.
“It seems entirely unlikely that such a minimal presence of Clenbuterol, as the analysis of Contador test has shown, is the result of deliberate doping,” said Morgan.
“It would be the sheer stupidity if a rider in Contador’s situation in the middle of the Tour de France would use Clenbuterol, when he knows it can be found in the daily controls.”
Contador, given the recent bad news, has decided to skip the presentation of next year’s Tour de France presentation Tuesday in Paris.
Riis, however has continued support from sponsor Saxo Bank. It announced today that it will continue as a sponsor regardless of Contador’s case.
“I am truly happy and grateful to know that Saxo Bank sees the value in continuing their support,” said Riis.
“Obviously, I am proud of the confidence that Saxo Bank, SunGard and Specialized have in me and the Team. Of course, we hope that Alberto is acquitted and can ride as planned in 2011.”