The debate over Alberto Contador is far from finished. The WADA Code adopted by the UCI involves the concept of “strict liability”. In this case an athlete is responsible for what goes in their body and if a banned substance is discovered they face a sanction, normally a two year suspension. It’s for the individual … Read more
The news that the Spanish federation cleared Contador in the absence of proof is a confirmation that the existing rules were cast aside. The principle of “strict liability” has been abandoned, instead the RFEC says: “The minimal amount detected could not presume an improvement in sporting performance… …This brings us to the conclusion that with … Read more
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, known as il Risorgimento, “the Resurgence”. 150 years ago this week the citadel of Gaeta, about halfway between Rome and Naples, surrendered after a two month siege and King Vittorio Emanuele II proclaimed the nation unified. The 2011 edition of the Giro d’Italia promises to … Read more
L’Equipe is reporting that Contador’s get out from sanction is due to a technicality, the same story has been put in English over at Velonation. In boils down to a right under the Spanish constitution to be informed of any accusation. A fundamental human right. In absence of official explanation from the Spanish authorities, I’m … Read more
An update and correction: since posting this, someone from the UCI has been in touch to say that Johan Lindström no longer works for the UCI. My reader stated Lindström was indeed working with both jobs and when I double-checked on the UCI website, he was still listed (my screenshot): But the UCI website isn’t … Read more
And we thought Contador had issues Riccardo Riccó has apparently admitted to blood doping, transfusing himself with blood that he’d stored in a fridge at home, confessing that he’d kept the sample for 25 days, that the blood could have been poorly stored during this period as a warning to the doctors. The sensational news … Read more
Carpani consults the bunch Speaking to cyclingnews.com, UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani suggests the governing body won’t back down over the ban of race radios. “We want to remind everyone that the decision has been taken with the participation of all the parties involved in the cycling movement. So the decision remains.” This is inflammatory stuff. … Read more
News in Marca and La Vanguardia that Contador has tested positive four times for Clenbuterol seems to make his case worse. But that’s not the case. The reducing quantity of the banned substance discovered each day, except for a pick up on the final Sunday, suggests this was simply the Clenbuterol leaving his body. As … Read more
Just a quick post in case you missed it on Twitter. Responding to the news of the rider protest in Majorca, Jonathan Vaughters tweeted two messages. To be clear, radio ban protests are not only about the radio ban. Teams and riders must have greater participation in governance of cycling……Our licensing fees and bio-pass contributions … Read more
The smile gets wiped off Who won today’s opening stage of the Tour of Majorca, the Trofeo Palma de Mallorca? The answer: nobody. The riders took the start, completed the race and Tyler Farrar was the first to cross the finish line. But the race has been declared void since many of the riders were … Read more