Contador is...

[DAOTEC]

Does anybody still remember July 22 after Tourmalet stage whem French prez. Nicolas Sarkozy showed up and asked Contador; What is your secret ?


Here the Video: http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/20100722/sarkozy-contador-bravo-espana/835619.shtml

Now Sark knows

 

[Escarabajo]

I find it funny that all the English media and forums declare Contador guilty with so much passion, and that the Spanish media and forums see Contador as innocent. See http://www.marca.com/2010/09/30/ciclismo/1285882345.html

Anybody said the word Bias?

 

[Escarabajo]

Contador = pro cyclist = doper

If you think anything else, maybe you should get into watching golf

Although there are some dopers there too

Sorry, not even golf.

 

[Christian]

At first I thought Contador was just pretty dumb, but actually innocent. Mainly because of the story of that Chinese rider (sorry, forgot his name) from RadioShack, whom I still believe to be innocent.

But now the plastic turned up in his pee and the blood transfusion theory sounds pretty plausible as well ...

So my answer is: no idea. I just think that compared to other cases (Schumacher, Landis, Valverde, F. Schleck), evidence is pretty low.

 

[jilbiker]

There is no doubt that he is positive.
But I, for once, believe that he did not take clenbuterol knowingly. He might take some other stuff, but not this.
I hope the case is dropped before it drags out like Valverde's case.
Sucks that is reputation is tarnished.

I think it was in the transfusion....

 

[jilbiker]

I think he has re-infused with contaminated blood. Nobody is going to believe this BS about chicken being bought over from Spain on the rest day.

Yes, does he think he is talking to school kids. Someone brought meat from Spain to france??? doesn't add up at all. Was the meat special? made from juiced cow...ha-ha

 

[jilbiker]

I chose innocent of this, but still in the clinic

Sure I think he does other things as do all the other big names, but I think the main thing he is guilty of is being the most complete and talented GT rider there is today.

His technique is superb and his climbing out of the saddle poetry in motion. I would hate to see him go down for this, if he has to go down then it needs to be for something more serious IMO

Yes he will be greatly missed. What a loss. The next 2 years will be dry, AS isn't just in the same class mentally as AC, although he may mature. When AC comes back he will not be the same, case and point, look at Basso, he isn't the Basso that left.

 

[Maxiton]

.... falling according to Sylvan Chavanel. Chavanel's countryman Yoann Offredo (FDJ) offered his own candid assessment of the Contador case, saying that he was not surprised by the news.

“It’s a story that we’ve been expecting,” Offredo said to RMC.fr. “We’re not unduly surprised. A little [surprised] about the Clenbuterol because we’d really have expected something else. It’s like the tree that hides the forest.

“Right now, amongst the riders, I can tell you that we’re not that shocked.”

I voted guilty of this and plenty of other stuff even before I read the above. Curious what Chavanel means by falling. Does it mean there is no more safety net when the big ones get caught?

When your fellow riders are throwing you under the bus like that, it's a pretty sure thing that your goose - or in this case your steak - is cooked.

I voted "Guilty of this and pleny of other stuff," and that's probably right. Nonetheless I haven't completely discounted the possibility of Armstrong having a hand in it. Why? Because 1) it fits the pattern of Armstrongs rivals being found positive and/or being driven out of cycling; 2)it isn't difficult to spike someones food; 3) "Au Revoir, Pierre.". This would be the second enemy taken down. (What's next? Will LeMond be involved in another hunting accident? Will Landis be attacked by a rabid kangaroo? Stay tuned.)

More than likely though, this progeny of Saiz is finished for awhile, no matter how it happened, and despite the initial attempts of the UCI to cover it up.

 

[Christian]

When your fellow riders are throwing you under the bus like that, it's a pretty sure thing that your goose - or in this case your steak - is cooked.

On the other hand I have to ask, and I think it is a valid question: Who the heck is Yoann Offredo? Honestly, who is that guy?! Never heard of him before. That makes it a little suspicious for me.

(But then again maybe it's just me and he's won all kinds of races, I must have missed it though)

 

[goggalor]

Guilty.

Not sure how I feel about him getting busted though. I mean, I already knew he was doping, and on a certain level, I didn't care. It's strange to see THE big fish go down, and so early in his career as well.

 

[Ferminal]

Does anybody still remember July 22 after Tourmalet stage whem French prez. Nicolas Sarkozy showed up and asked Contador; What is your secret ?


Here the Video: http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/20100722/sarkozy-contador-bravo-espana/835619.shtml

Now Sark knows

He just liked the look of the Specialized... Wanted to trade in a Trek.

 

[Maxiton]

On the other hand I have to ask, and I think it is a valid question: Who the heck is Yoann Offredo? Honestly, who is that guy?! Never heard of him before. That makes it a little suspicious for me.

(But then again maybe it's just me and he's won all kinds of races, I must have missed it though)

True, that is certainly a legitimate question. Like you, I've never heard of this guy. But it isn't just him, apparently. The article this quote comes from claims that this is a common feeling among riders. It also quotes no less than Chavanel:

“[Contador] is falling. The big champions are falling: it’s like that,” Chavanel told RMC.fr. “It’s always disappointing to see things like this, but it’s good that we’ve reached a point where things are being found. The levels [of Clenbuterol] might be low, but there are traces there all the same. It’s up to Contador to prove his innocence.”

In the omertà world that is pro cycling, this is tantamount, or almost, to saying, he is no longer one of us, take him away.

 

[usedtobefast]

Spain=guilty. seems like a trend there. i don't condemn him, at all. Valverde
is a favorite of mine. sure it is in the meat, but it is in his positive dope control also. not a suprise,eh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clenbuterol

http://www.vetdepot.com/Ventipulmin-clenbuterol-Syrup-100-mL.html

 

[Paco_P]

Yes, does he think he is talking to school kids. Someone brought meat from Spain to france??? doesn't add up at all. Was the meat special? made from juiced cow...ha-ha

But actually it makes perfect sense to most Spaniards. First, older Spaniards remember some clenbuterol poisonining incidents in the mid 90's (folks ate cow livers loaded with the stuff). Second, Spaniards think Spanish food is better than all other food - this is almost universal in Spain - and to most Spaniards the idea that on his off day he brought meat in from Spain makes complete and perfect sense. Contador wants to convince his Spanish fan base. Also the British are inclined to believe that meat from Spain is contaminated, since they think all Iberians are cheating corner-cutters, and so the defense works on that front too. From the point of view of PR directed at people who know little about cycling and less about drugs, it's a well designed defense.

Of course these observations simply convince me that it is complete bull****.

 

[uspostal]

But actually it makes perfect sense to most Spaniards. First, older Spaniards remember some clenbuterol poisonining incidents in the mid 90's (folks ate cow livers loaded with the stuff). Second, Spaniards think Spanish food is better than all other food - this is almost universal in Spain - and to most Spaniards the idea that on his off day he brought meat in from Spain makes complete and perfect sense. Contador wants to convince his Spanish fan base. Also the British are inclined to believe that meat from Spain is contaminated, since they think all Iberians are cheating corner-cutters, and so the defense works on that front too. From the point of view of PR directed at people who know little about cycling and less about drugs, it's a well designed defense.

Of course these observations simply convince me that it is complete bull****.

I believe your Spanish guy ate steak and thats a far way from the liver of that one PED using animal. With the list of guilty spanish guys maybe they have a farm full of PED using cows !!! All designated TDF only, not to be opened before July 3rd.

 

[Maxiton]

Now that I've had plenty of time to toss it around, I think it serves no good purpose to make such a big deal about such a trace amount of a substance that could find its way

into your body by any number of avenues in this amount. I'm sure Contador has and is doping, but I don't think this is the case that proves it, and I don't think he should be

sanctioned for this. I think the authorities need to establish some sort of threshold for such things, and in the meantime work out a compromise that allows Contador to race

next year. That would be in keeping with the spirit of the anti-doping rules.

 

[Protein]

Now that I've had plenty of time to toss it around, I think it serves no good purpose to make such a big deal about such a trace amount of a substance that could find its way

into your body by any number of avenues in this amount. I'm sure Contador has and is doping, but I don't think this is the case that proves it, and I don't think he should be

sanctioned for this. I think the authorities need to establish some sort of threshold for such things, and in the meantime work out a compromise that allows Contador to race

next year. That would be in keeping with the spirit of the anti-doping rules.

But it's quite a coincidence that this wildly popular doping product somehow found it's way into Contador's blood during the TdF. The reason it's trace amounts can look even more guilty. If nobody thought they could test for it at that level they may have had no problem using it the week before dropping blood.

I do, however, agree that it would be ironic if Contador's reputation is tarnished for this and not his extraordinary 2009 TdF performance. I don't think anyone will be able to dope to his 09 level again - it should go down as the concord of doping performances.

 

[Maxiton]

But it's quite a coincidence that this wildly popular doping product somehow found it's way into Contador's blood during the TdF. The reason it's trace amounts can look even more guilty. If nobody thought they could test for it at that level they may have had no problem using it the week before dropping blood.

I do, however, agree that it would be ironic if Contador's reputation is tarnished for this and not his extraordinary 2009 TdF performance. I don't think anyone will be able to dope to his 09 level again - it should go down as the concord of doping performances.

"The concord of doping performances." I like that phrase and I agree re the '09 Tour performance. On the other hand, though, you could take Armstrong's seven consecutive wins in toto as the concord.

Anyway, I'm taking Vaughters' recent statement as the basis for my point. Vaughters statement is essentially as follows. Was the outcome of the race changed by this substance? No. It's a microscopic trace which effects no outcome, so while it might, perhaps, violate the letter of the rule, it doesn't violate the rule's intent. Given this fact, combined with the impossibility of determining its origin, it should not be sanctioned for.

Since Vaughters is no doping apologist, his argument carries some weight here.

 

[roundabout]

Err, Vaughters is absolutely an apologist. I don't remember him defending Li, do you?

 

[Chuffy]

Err, Vaughters is absolutely an apologist. I don't remember him defending Li, do you?

Why should Vaughters have to pop up every time some nobody gets busted in order for you to take him seriously? I doubt any of the media went to him for a comment on the mighty multiple GT winning Mr Li. The Contador case isn't comparable.

FWIW - it's bad but not quite enough of a smoking gun to toast Bertie. As other posters have said, Bertie smells and probably deserves to be caught, but let it be done properly and for something that counts.

 

[JA.Tri]

? guilty?

I concur with the sentiments/general thrust of Barrus and Theswordsman.

I think on this occasion he is guilty, but not sure of what. Generally believe this is not a singular event, that is he enjoys some PED assistance.

As per other posters I had thought he was (relatively) clean this season.

Whatever the case look forward to frank and robust discussion shining a bright light on current events!

 

[roundabout]

That's the whole point, Vaughters is only interested in doping cases that might threaten his bottom line .

Catch a lesser rider and it will be seen as UCI cleaning up the sport and nobody of "importance" would be interested in pleading his case.

Simply disgusting.

 

[Chuffy]

That's the whole point, Vaughters is only interested in doping cases that might threaten his bottom line .

Catch a lesser rider and it will be seen as UCI cleaning up the sport and nobody of "importance" would be interested in pleading his case.

Simply disgusting.

So, unless Vaughters pops up on Cycling News every single time some no-mark gets busted you'll climb up on your ivory tower and call him a hypocrite?

You must be a veritable living saint to be so pure.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Why is JV taken so highly? Coz he did the JV/Andreu-Chat? What did he do against doping? Was he open like Chavanel/Offredo/Gerdemann/Martin? No, he always said no comment if it came to serious questions (at least in german media).
This guy is overrated in the case of anti-doping-standpoints. In Germany we say: "Nach unten treten, nach oben kuschen". And that´s the worst kind of character you can have.

 

[Chuffy]

Why is JV taken so highly? Coz he did the JV/Andreu-Chat? What did he do against doping? Was he open like Chavanel/Offredo/Gerdemann/Martin? No, he always said no comment if it came to serious questions (at least in german media).
This guy is overrated in the case of anti-doping-standpoints. In Germany we say: "Nach unten treten, nach oben kuschen". And that´s the worst kind of character you can have.

Starting a team with an expressedly anti-doping ethos counts for more than simply running his mouth off. Don't get me wrong, I like it when the riders speak out, that can only be a good thing, but I'd argue that running a team like Garmin is a far stronger attempt to shift the underlying culture of pro-cycling and that's why he should be listened to. Not to mention that he's been around the block a bit and knows what he's talking about...