Rival cyclists reserve judgment
Source: Agencies |
October 1, 2010, Friday
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BRITISH cyclist David Millar urged the public and his fellow riders at the road world championships to give Alberto Contador the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are known about the three-time Tour de France winner's doping suspension.
Millar, who was banned from cycling for two years in 2004 after admitting to using EPO earlier in his career, said there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before judging Contador.
Millar finished second in the time trial at the road world championships in Geelong, Australia, yesterday, only hours after it was revealed a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited lab in Cologne, Germany, found a "very small concentration" of the banned stimulant clenbuterol in Contador's urine sample on July 21 at the Tour.
"At the moment it doesn't make much sense in that it was a rest-day control and it's a micro-dose ... Alberto gets controlled every day when he's in the yellow jersey and that would have come up the day before or after the race," Millar said. "I 100 percent give Alberto fully the benefit of the doubt.
"You have to understand these things can be quite complicated and it's just a shame that it's out there when it could be something completely innocent. So let's wait and see."
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who won the time trial, said he wanted to hear Contador's side of the story. The Spaniard gave a news conference at Pinto, Spain, later and blamed contaminated meat for his positive doping test.
Road race world champion Cadel Evans, who finished second to Contador in the 2007 Tour, said he would reserve judgment.
"I will wait until the final analysis is completed before I form an opinion," the Australian said in a brief statement.
International Cycling Union officials in Geelong refused to elaborate on the formal statement issued earlier in the day confirming the suspension. UCI President Pat McQuaid did not respond to telephone calls and requests for interviews were rejected.
Australian Phil Anderson, a two-time Tour de France stage-winner, said while it was important not to pre-judge Contador, if the case was proven, the sport would suffer. "If his Tour de France result is affected, it would be a real disaster for the sport," he said.
Contador did not travel to Geelong for the world championships, choosing instead to prepare for next year's professional season.
Millar, who was banned from cycling for two years in 2004 after admitting to using EPO earlier in his career, said there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before judging Contador.
Millar finished second in the time trial at the road world championships in Geelong, Australia, yesterday, only hours after it was revealed a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited lab in Cologne, Germany, found a "very small concentration" of the banned stimulant clenbuterol in Contador's urine sample on July 21 at the Tour.
"At the moment it doesn't make much sense in that it was a rest-day control and it's a micro-dose ... Alberto gets controlled every day when he's in the yellow jersey and that would have come up the day before or after the race," Millar said. "I 100 percent give Alberto fully the benefit of the doubt.
"You have to understand these things can be quite complicated and it's just a shame that it's out there when it could be something completely innocent. So let's wait and see."
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who won the time trial, said he wanted to hear Contador's side of the story. The Spaniard gave a news conference at Pinto, Spain, later and blamed contaminated meat for his positive doping test.
Road race world champion Cadel Evans, who finished second to Contador in the 2007 Tour, said he would reserve judgment.
"I will wait until the final analysis is completed before I form an opinion," the Australian said in a brief statement.
International Cycling Union officials in Geelong refused to elaborate on the formal statement issued earlier in the day confirming the suspension. UCI President Pat McQuaid did not respond to telephone calls and requests for interviews were rejected.
Australian Phil Anderson, a two-time Tour de France stage-winner, said while it was important not to pre-judge Contador, if the case was proven, the sport would suffer. "If his Tour de France result is affected, it would be a real disaster for the sport," he said.
Contador did not travel to Geelong for the world championships, choosing instead to prepare for next year's professional season.
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