Catalonian climber admits that he’s scared about possible beef contamination
At the team presentation of the new Movistar team in Madrid, there was talk about the team’s prospects for 2011, the team’s hopes, the normal team presentation talk – but a smaller theme emerged from the presentation that isn’t quite as common at normally rosy colored team presentations: doping in sport, particularly the case of Alberto Contador.
Xavier Tondo and several other teammates spoke about the continued spectre of doping within the sport. Tondo, fresh off a colossal meltdown on the final decisive stage of the Tour de San Luis’s final descent, wasn’t so much pro-Contador, as he was concerned, nay, panicked about the possibility of eating contaminated beef. The prodigal climber has taken Contador’s claims of contaminated beef to heart and admits that he’s scared to eat beef.
“I think the biological passport is great, and it has has become increasingly more effective and tough in the fight against cheating. By eating a piece of meat, I can ruin my life though – not only my sports career, but my credibility as a person as well. I think we really have to rethink things,” said the affable rider from Catalonia.
At first glance, Tondo’s words would seem a bit extreme, but taken in the context of an oft tested bike racer, is a concern over contaminated beef all that crazy? Many scoff at Contador’s claims, and they are unquestionably quite slim in their chance, but Tondo posits the possibility – what if the chance is real?
“I do not know, but there should be talk about it. The stronger the fight against doping, the better, but is it too far if I panic about eating beef? If it happens to me like it has with Alberto, what do I do?”
Typically, it’s easy to shrug off the seemingly wild claims of a rider who tested positive, but it’s apparent that some riders take the chance to heart. While Tondo took a fearful look at beef, one of the revelations at this year’s Giro, David Arroyo, just hoped for better times in the year to come.
“I hope that for the good of the sport, things are starting to get worked out. I think it’s a shame that the racing world and its partners are going through this, but from here, I send my support especially to the people who are still there at the side of the road…I ask that you continue to trust us.”