Contador faces 1-year ban for positive drug test
Source: Agencies |
January 28, 2011, Friday
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ALBERTO Contador's spokesman says Spanish cycling officials accept the rider's contention that his positive Tour de France drug test resulted from eating contaminated meat.
The Spanish cycling federation has proposed a one-year ban for Contador, rather than the standard two-year penalty, after his positive clenbuterol test at last year's Tour.
Contador spokesman Jacinto Vidarte said the federation accepted Contador's contention that the result was due to "unintentional ingestion" of the banned substance.
If the penalty is adopted, Contador would lose his third Tour title because of the positive clenbuterol result. The Spanish cyclist would also be ineligible to compete in this year's Tour.
Contador said in a statement released by his spokesman that he had received the proposed verdict from the Spanish federation's disciplinary committee.
Contador has 10 days to challenge the one-year proposal by presenting new evidence or material, according to Spanish federation rules. After that, the four-person disciplinary committee will reconvene to decide whether to uphold or change the proposed sanction.
The one-year ban isn't a definitive decision.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency both said it would wait until the final verdict before commenting. The standard penalty for such an offense is a two-year ban.
The Spanish body's final decision - expected around February 10 - could still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by Contador, the UCI or the World Anti-Doping Agency.
If stripped of the 2010 Tour victory, the title would go to runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.
The 28-year-old Contador said he will hold a news conference today in Palma de Mallorca, where he is taking part in preseason training with his Saxo Bank-SunGard team.
Contador would be the second cyclist to lose the Tour title. The first was American Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour victory after a positive test. For years, Landis denied doping but admitted last year that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Contador, winner of both the Giro d'Italia and Spanish Vuelta in 2008, tested positive during a rest day at last year's Tour de France.
The Spanish cycling federation has proposed a one-year ban for Contador, rather than the standard two-year penalty, after his positive clenbuterol test at last year's Tour.
Contador spokesman Jacinto Vidarte said the federation accepted Contador's contention that the result was due to "unintentional ingestion" of the banned substance.
If the penalty is adopted, Contador would lose his third Tour title because of the positive clenbuterol result. The Spanish cyclist would also be ineligible to compete in this year's Tour.
Contador said in a statement released by his spokesman that he had received the proposed verdict from the Spanish federation's disciplinary committee.
Contador has 10 days to challenge the one-year proposal by presenting new evidence or material, according to Spanish federation rules. After that, the four-person disciplinary committee will reconvene to decide whether to uphold or change the proposed sanction.
The one-year ban isn't a definitive decision.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency both said it would wait until the final verdict before commenting. The standard penalty for such an offense is a two-year ban.
The Spanish body's final decision - expected around February 10 - could still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by Contador, the UCI or the World Anti-Doping Agency.
If stripped of the 2010 Tour victory, the title would go to runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.
The 28-year-old Contador said he will hold a news conference today in Palma de Mallorca, where he is taking part in preseason training with his Saxo Bank-SunGard team.
Contador would be the second cyclist to lose the Tour title. The first was American Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour victory after a positive test. For years, Landis denied doping but admitted last year that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Contador, winner of both the Giro d'Italia and Spanish Vuelta in 2008, tested positive during a rest day at last year's Tour de France.
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