Holy Cr*p, the UCI did it (Contador)

[hrotha]

What are the odds that the mysterious friend who brought the meat across the border reveals himself, followed by the butcher where he bought it, and the butcher will miraculously remember exactly which cut of meat, from which farm, this particular customer bought 4 months ago. The farmer will then hold his hands up, pay his fine (and yet, somehow, his bank balance increases), and retire from farming within a few months.

There's no mysterious friend. It was José Luis López Cerrón, organizer of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. This has been known since day one.

 

[Lanark]

Said this already, RFEC and probably CAS will realise that technically and legally WADA and the UCI may not have a leg to stand on. ONLY the Cologne lab have the ability to test for Clenbuterol at those levels, no other lab has, were ALL tour blood/Urine samples tested at Cologne?? Has EVERY single UCI sanction Blood/Urine sample been tested at the same lab all year??

At best a three month slap on the wrist, at worst he'll get off on a technicality (there are probably dozens to chose from...)

CAS has already laughed these kind of defences away in the past. It's like a shoplifter arguing he shouldn't get a sentence because the cop that chased him was the only cop in the force that was fast enough te catch him.

Anyway, this is the UCI press release. I noticed they still don't talk about an adverse analytical finding, what's going on?


COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 8 novembre / 8 November 2010
The UCI requests the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Alberto Contador

The International Cycling Union (UCI) today requested the Spanish National Cycling Federation (RFEC) to open disciplinary proceedings against the rider Alberto Contador. This request complies with the procedure set out by the World Anti-Doping Code as established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

On 23 August 2010, the Cologne laboratory sent the UCI an analysis report indicating an abnormal result (presence of clenbuterol) in a urine sample taken from the Spanish rider during a test carried out on 21 July, the second rest day of the 2010 Tour de France. The laboratory simultaneously sent this information to WADA.

Duly informed of these facts and the probability of his impending provisional suspension, Alberto Contador requested the analysis of the B sample on 26 August 2010. This examination took place on 8 September 2010 and confirmed the traces of clenbuterol. For additional safety, considering the very low concentration detected, the UCI continued scientific investigations in collaboration with WADA. In particular, it conducted a series of new analyses on all the blood and urine samples taken from the rider in the period in question.

In accordance with the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code applicable to the case, the UCI thus declared the provisional suspension of Alberto Contador from 24 August 2010.

At the end of a long and meticulous enquiry entrusted to highly qualified, WADA-accredited experts, and considering all the information currently in its possession, the UCI has concluded that disciplinary proceedings should be opened against Alberto Contador. The UCI has today sent its request to the Spanish Federation that has competence in this regard. It is now the responsibility of this Federation to determine whether Alberto Contador has breached the UCI Anti-Doping Rules. In the meantime, until the end of the proceedings and despite his provisional suspension, Alberto Contador still benefits from a presumption of innocence.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional until these proceedings have been completed.

UCI Press Service

 

[Roland Rat]

Schleck: "For me, Contador will always remain the winner of the 2010 Tour".

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sch...-through-a-possible-contador-disqualification


Honestly, why doesn't Schleck just scream "I was doping too!" from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Farcical.

 

[Jamsque]

I agree that the most likely explanation for the disgracefully long time the UCI has taken to hand this case to the RFEC is that they have been working out the smallest sanction they can give Bertie without WADA appealing to the CAS. I would be amazed and very very happy if he got the full two year ban he deserves and loses his 2010 Tour title.

 

[Finbouy]

At the end of a long and meticulous enquiry entrusted to highly qualified, WADA-accredited experts,

Oh hang on, so my 10yr old is lying when she say she works for WADA..

Why re-itterate "highly qualified, WADA-accredited experts" what other experts are there ?

 

[The Hitch]

Honestly, why doesn't Schleck just scream "I was doping too!" from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Farcical.

Hes scared of heights. Have you seen the lift that takes you up there. Madone, its see through . And its fast. It feels like your permenantly getting blasted off into space and not coming back.

Seriously though,he doesnt need to. Everyone pretty much understood that was the case when he flew up Bagneres de Lucheon in some super pace after chain gate. And with ease, flew away from everyone bar Contador on the Tourmalet and the Madeline.

 

[Darryl Webster]

Can you name a single case of doping that was thrown out on a 'technicality' with respect to how the offense was announced? I'm sure the Spanish have a long list of phony pretenses on their minds, but I doubt this is one of them.

I cant because I didnt follow the sport closely for 17 year after I retired.
The manner in which a newspaper "forced" the announcement from Contador would appear to breach procedure. The plasticicer test has apparrently not yet reached a stage of approval and the amount of Clen found was at a leval far below that of the usual testing labs capability.
That begs the question why was the sample sent to this particuler lab ?...was it a specific targeting?...in doing so was all agread procedure folowed etc , etc.
While within the sporting courts a certain laxness re the importance of procedure might be tollerated in the notion of the "spirit of the rules" should the case reach proper legal courts ( likley if the sports ruling bodies are "heavy handed) then the the importance of procedure becomes explicit.
Im not arguing in favour of Contador here..though I remain highly suspect about the whole case as I think it`s timing is just to damm conveniant for a certain Texan who I felt made various vailed threats during the previous 18 months or so.
And no ones gonna convince me Schleck and many other GC contenders are clean so it kinda leaves a situation of one bad Apple amongst a barral of bad Apples geting a lot of crap on there shoulders while the remaining bad Apples continue as were. Nothing changes , the sport remains the same barral of bad Apples.
I`l shut up about Apples.

 

[sniper]

And no ones gonna convince me Schleck and many other GC contenders are clean so it kinda leaves a situation of one bad Apple amongst a barral of bad Apples geting a lot of crap on there shoulders while the remaining bad Apples continue as were. Nothing changes , the sport remains the same barral of bad Apples.
I`l shut up about Apples.

Apparently one Apple a day doesn't quite keep the doctors away.

 

[Dimtick]

It seems to be clear that use of Clenbuterol in livestock destined for human consumption has been banned for some time. It also appears, from the Canaries case, that some farmers ignore this ruling.

What are the odds that the mysterious friend who brought the meat across the border reveals himself, followed by the butcher where he bought it, and the butcher will miraculously remember exactly which cut of meat, from which farm, this particular customer bought 4 months ago. The farmer will then hold his hands up, pay his fine (and yet, somehow, his bank balance increases), and retire from farming within a few months.


Presumably Alberto eats with his teammates: were no other Astana riders tested on the same day, or those following?

the "mysterious Friend" is the president of the Veulta that came to try to talk Alberto into riding. I read a story early on that he had told them where he had gotten the meat and that many samples had been tested....all coming up negative. The problem was that store bought their meat from a wholesaler and there was no way to trace it back to the source farm. there wasn't even a way to prove that it was Spanish meat. just that it was bought from a store in Spain.
I can't find the story now. The next day after the story, Alberto threatened to sue all the media outlets and so all the stories were taken off the net.
Does anyone else remember that story? Am I remembering correctly?

 

[TheMight]

I agree that the most likely explanation for the disgracefully long time the UCI has taken to hand this case to the RFEC is that they have been working out the smallest sanction they can give Bertie without WADA appealing to the CAS. I would be amazed and very very happy if he got the full two year ban he deserves and loses his 2010 Tour title.

Not from Spain... 9 months tops, starting in August, he keeps the Tour win.

It's up to WADA and CAS to figure it out. If Spain takes as much time as they can, he'll race the Tour next year while CAS and WADA try to get their act together.


Let us not forget, Spain let Valve just peel off wins for years and it was ultimately Italy that got that fixed. A known doper. Pretty clearly implicated by OP. (Not like AC wasn't implicated too...)

 

[hrotha]

Valverde's case was a bit of an anomaly though. Contador tested positive in a run-of-the-mill anti-doping test. There's no way he could get a 9-month ban and still keep his TdF title, and chances are the RFEC has no choice but to give him at least a one-year ban and hope WADA is cool with it.

 

[sublimit]

Not from Spain... 9 months tops, starting in August, he keeps the Tour win.

It's up to WADA and CAS to figure it out. If Spain takes as much time as they can, he'll race the Tour next year while CAS and WADA try to get their act together.


Let us not forget, Spain let Valve just peel off wins for years and it was ultimately Italy that got that fixed. A known doper. Pretty clearly implicated by OP. (Not like AC wasn't implicated too...)

At least WADA, CAS and even the UCI are looking on unlike the USA athletics track and field scandal of a few years back where it was all hushed up. We could get the right result for this situation yet.

 

[BotanyBay]

There's no mysterious friend. It was José Luis López Cerrón, organizer of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. This has been known since day one.

Except the team chef directly contradicts this, saying he bought the beef himself in Pau (and hey, look here, I even have the receipt!). So now we have two "friends" to deal with. ;-)

 

[bike_framed]

Except the team chef directly contradicts this, saying he bought the beef himself in Pau (and hey, look here, I even have the receipt!). So now we have two "friends" to deal with. ;-)

Wrong. I'm not saying that the chef was telling the truth but...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...tadors-rest-day-steaks-came-from-spain_145108

"Olalla backed Contador’s claims that steaks were brought from Spain to France during the second rest day of this year’s Tour. He said that the hotel food was bad and asked José Luis López Cerrón, a former pro and sport director, to bring along some steaks as he was travelling from Spain to the team’s hotel in Pau."

 

[Dimtick]

Wrong. I'm not saying that the chef was telling the truth but...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...tadors-rest-day-steaks-came-from-spain_145108

"Olalla backed Contador’s claims that steaks were brought from Spain to France during the second rest day of this year’s Tour. He said that the hotel food was bad and asked José Luis López Cerrón, a former pro and sport director, to bring along some steaks as he was travelling from Spain to the team’s hotel in Pau."

the Astana team chef is a Spanish chef that was brought on board at Contadors request. He wanted to do something special for the rest day and wasn't happy with the hotel meat. He's friends with Jose Cerron and so asked him to bring some from Spain.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Wrong. I'm not saying that the chef was telling the truth but...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...tadors-rest-day-steaks-came-from-spain_145108

"Olalla backed Contador’s claims that steaks were brought from Spain to France during the second rest day of this year’s Tour. He said that the hotel food was bad and asked José Luis López Cerrón, a former pro and sport director, to bring along some steaks as he was travelling from Spain to the team’s hotel in Pau."

I can picture the advert in the Spanish version of Farmers' Weekly:
"Wanted for public relations project. One beef farmer in Castilla region, preferably nearing retirement age, must be available to attend meeting in Madrid in next few months. Pension and eternal gratitude of national sporting press assured. Ring F Contador on 077...."

 

[bike_framed]

the Astana team chef is a Spanish chef that was brought on board at Contadors request. He wanted to do something special for the rest day and wasn't happy with the hotel meat. He's friends with Jose Cerron and so asked him to bring some from Spain.

Even if this is true, it doesn't mean the meat had Clenbuterol in it and, even if it did have Clenbuterol, he can't prove it. Either way he still tested positive.

 

[sniper]

Kimmage called AC's excuse laughable and an insult to the intelligence of cycling fans. I think I have to go with Kimmage on this one.

 

[Dimtick]

Even if this is true, it doesn't mean the meat had Clenbuterol in it and, even if it did have Clenbuterol, he can't prove it. Either way he still tested positive.

that's the problem. As I said in an earlier post. I saw a story where they found the store where the meat was bought and tested all their meat (all came back negative). the problem was that the store bought it's meat from multiple wholesalers which makes it pretty much impossible to trace where the meat came from. It might not have even come from Spain. It was just bought in Spain. This doesn't help Contador. This makes it worse because it's up to AC to find evidence to back his claim. They say that Contador is innocent until proven guilty but really it's the opposite. By UCI rules, AC is guilty and it his responsibility to prove his innocence.

 

[bike_framed]

...This makes it worse because it's up to AC to find evidence to back his claim. They say that Contador is innocent until proven guilty but really it's the opposite. By UCI rules, AC is guilty and it his responsibility to prove his innocence.

Well, he agreed to the rules before he started playing the game and according to the rules he is guilty.

 

[sniper]

that's the problem. As I said in an earlier post. I saw a story where they found the store where the meat was bought and tested all their meat (all came back negative). the problem was that the store bought it's meat from multiple wholesalers which makes it pretty much impossible to trace where the meat came from. It might not have even come from Spain. It was just bought in Spain. This doesn't help Contador. This makes it worse because it's up to AC to find evidence to back his claim. They say that Contador is innocent until proven guilty but really it's the opposite. By UCI rules, AC is guilty and it his responsibility to prove his innocence.

y de dónde eres tu? the writing's on the wall....

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

"The UCI has today sent its request to the Spanish Federation that has competence in this regard. It is now the responsibility of this Federation to determine whether Alberto Contador has breached the UCI Anti-Doping Rules."

The thing that appalls me the most is the UCI has waited this long to hand this over to the Spanish Federation. Frank Schleck says he does not know what this means (nor do I), in regard to a timely resolution to this matter. However, IMO, this is bound to cause delays.

 

[BotanyBay]

Wrong. I'm not saying that the chef was telling the truth but...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...tadors-rest-day-steaks-came-from-spain_145108

"Olalla backed Contador’s claims that steaks were brought from Spain to France during the second rest day of this year’s Tour. He said that the hotel food was bad and asked José Luis López Cerrón, a former pro and sport director, to bring along some steaks as he was travelling from Spain to the team’s hotel in Pau."

I think we'd have to pull the tape and have a closer look. My memory of that week's statements left me with the distinct impression that the chef failed to sync his own tall tale with that of ACs. It's quite possible that since then, someone has successfully "affixed" the tear between the two. This whole case has been very well "managed" from the beginning.

 

[webvan]

The thing that appalls me the most is the UCI has waited this long to hand this over to the Spanish Federation. Frank Schleck says he does not know what this means (nor do I), in regard to a timely resolution to this matter. However, IMO, this is bound to cause delays.

Was discussed yesterday in this very topic, apparently the RFEC have ONE MONTH to come up with a decision.

 

[Escarabajo]

the "mysterious Friend" is the president of the Veulta that came to try to talk Alberto into riding. I read a story early on that he had told them where he had gotten the meat and that many samples had been tested....all coming up negative. The problem was that store bought their meat from a wholesaler and there was no way to trace it back to the source farm. there wasn't even a way to prove that it was Spanish meat. just that it was bought from a store in Spain.
I can't find the story now. The next day after the story, Alberto threatened to sue all the media outlets and so all the stories were taken off the net.
Does anyone else remember that story? Am I remembering correctly?

I've never heard that story.