You might be thinking “who?” but Igor Astarloa is a Spaniard who had a very strong season in 2003, including the World Championship win. He since faded but the UCI picked up on suspicious bio passport data and has this morning announced he’s been banned for two years. Only he is retired, having stopped riding … Read more
In an article on Spanish sports website AS.com, spotted by cyclismactu.net, the agricultural authorities in the Basque Country are annoyed with Contador’s claims of contaminated meat. Foodchain-gate The hypothesis of some beef purchased in Irun is Contador’s escape clause but it comes at the expense of Spanish beef farmers, suggestions of contaminated meat are strong … Read more
Hispanic insurance and financial planning outfit Liberty Seguros announced recently that it was to withdraw from cycling sponsorship. The company is a subsidiary of Boston-based Liberty Mutual. We can almost salute this company’s persistence. It was the sponsor of Manolo Saiz’s team when the Puerto scandal erupted and promptly several riders were suspended from the … Read more
Now that Alberto Contador’s career hangs in the balance of the Spanish Federation it is time to get a move on. The UCI rules stipulate a month, although Spanish cycling boss Juan Castaño has said it could take longer. 280. The proceedings before the hearing panel of the License-Holder’s National Federation must be completed within … Read more
There are reports now that the UCI is set to open a disciplinary procedure against Alberto Contador for a doping offence. This is not to say he is guilty yet, rather than the facts are now going to be reviewed in the context of a potential sanction. Nevertheless it is almost inconceivable that the UCI … Read more
Alberto Contador has been provisionally suspended following his positive test for Clebuterol. Only there seems to be some confusion over his eligibility to race. “The UCI has not yet notified us that we need to suspend his license” says Juan Carlos Castaño, president of the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC). You can read a fuller report … Read more
I’d been led to believe that the UCI was working behind the scenes to clear Alberto Contador and wrote about in the piece below. The idea was simple, that the damage of seeing the reigning Tour de France champion being banned would be huge and therefore heaven and earth plus the WADA code was being … Read more
“You need to clean up your act” UCI President Pat McQuaid can be a soft target. It’s too easy to pin all the sport’s problems on him, if anything it credits him with a power, reach and ability that he simply doesn’t have. But speaking to Reuters, he seems to have blundered again: “Fifty percent … Read more
Meat the press There are lots of unanswered questions regarding Alberto Contador’s positive test. Clearly Contador is himself desperate for answers but there are issues the Spaniard can clear up that go well beyond a cut of meat. We need to question the motives and behaviour of others as well, this a tale with a … Read more
Alberto Contador needs to prove the prohibited clenbuterol in his system came from contaminated meat. At first glance, trying to go backwards to a meal eaten in July sounds futile. But actually, it’s not, tracking down the rogue steak should be straightforward. So here’s a quick piece explaining the food chain in Europe. I know … Read more