Contador positive for Clenbuterol



On August 31th, 2010 Mr. Andy Ramos requested to Dr Douwe de Boer to assist him in a case of an Adverse Analytical Finding of CLENBUTEROL, which was found in a urine sample of the cyclist Mr. Alberto Contador.
This report relates the opinion of Dr de Boer in respect of the origin of the unexpected presence of CLENBUTEROL in biological samples in general and in a urine sample of the cyclist in particular.

read the report, in english, here
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=31038
 
  • his sample contained 400 times less than accredited labs are required to be able to test for..
  • it's also an old and very easily detectable substance that it would seem that no one in their right mind would be using at this time for performance enhancement
  • he was tested the day before and day after and didn't test positive for it in those tests..

this just doesn't seem to add up to a legit positive... that being said.. since there was another recent positive, maybe there is a new method being used that keeps its detectability under the radar.. it's is definitely effective when used in much, much higher concentration (2 orders of magnitude higher!).. don't know.. maybe it's even lab contamination and the B sample comes back negative (we're talking about minute, minute quantities here..). shouldn't there be amount that they shouldn't even be allowed to test for even if it's possible because quantities are so low and chance of error is therefor very high? i'm guessing the guys with the PhD likely have that covered.. anyway.. seems like a very, very weird finding.. gotta wait an see how this plays out..
 
Originally Posted by doctorSpoc .

  • his sample contained 400 times less than accredited labs are required to be able to test for..
  • it's also an old and very easily detectable substance that it would seem that no one in their right mind would be using at this time for performance enhancement
  • he was tested the day before and day after and didn't test positive for it in those tests..

this just doesn't seem to add up to a legit positive... that being said.. since there was another recent positive, maybe there is a new method being used that keeps its detectability under the radar.. it's is definitely effective when used in much, much higher concentration (2 orders of magnitude higher!).. don't know.. maybe it's even lab contamination and the B sample comes back negative (we're talking about minute, minute quantities here..). shouldn't there be amount that they shouldn't even be allowed to test for even if it's possible because quantities are so low and chance of error is therefor very high? i'm guessing the guys with the PhD likely have that covered.. anyway.. seems like a very, very weird finding.. gotta wait an see how this plays out..
gather you didn't bother reading the link.
he was tested the day after and DID test positive
the B sample has already been tested and has the same result as the A
 
Originally Posted by thebluetrain .

It's Lance's fault. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lemond-shocked-by-contador-positive

“I find it hard to believe that a professional like Alberto Contador would risk a detectable drug and I can’t believe how many people have left a certain team and then gone positive,” LeMond told Cyclingnews after hearing the news.
 
Interesting timing of latest doping - related news.
Three riders (Contador, Mosquera, Ricco) in day when Cancelllara took his fourth title and road race looks to be very exciting.
UCI - GT organizers war is continuing.
 
Anyone want to speculate if this amount of drug would have any performance enhancement properties? Or are we talking zero tolerance issues?
 
that makes only two left that hasnt been caught in the pro peloton??
like i said in my other posts on drugs.. i love their excuses... its the meat... hahahaha..
swallow those masking agents asap fabian!!!
 
thanks for the clarification Lucy.. the argument is the same though.. if the initial concentration on the 21st (not detected on 19th or 20th) is so low (not enough for performance enhancement)... it sure looks like it was not being used in a concentration that would effect performance enhancement (he got no benefit from it).. really looks like he didn't take it knowingly? doesn't make sense. and the 1st appearance is on a rest day.. it just doesn't seem to add up.. nothing about it make sense as a case of cheating..

seems the doc also presented historical evidence of clenbuterol contamination of meat in both spain and china (where the other positive was from).. and there is no minimum level for detection.. but maybe there should be...?
 
Contador's scientific expert De Boer details defense

Says traces of Clenbuterol demonstrate food contamination

The full report from Alberto Contador's scientific expert, Dr. Douwe de Boer, was made public today by the rider's press officer. In it, De Boer details Contador's test results and provides a long list of examples of Clenbuterol contamination in the general population as a result of food contamination.

Contador announced early on Thursday that he tested positive for the drug on July 21, during the second rest day of the Tour de France. The report gives the concentration of Clenbuterol in the Spaniard's sample as 50 picograms/ml, a value 40 times (not 400 as stated by the UCI) below the value that the laboratory should be able to detect.

De Boer also calls into question the lab's declaring an Adverse Analytical Finding for such a low amount, and argues that 50pg is 180 times less than the amount shown to induce physical effects by the drug.

The report states that Contador showed no traces of the drug on July 19 and 20. After finding 50pg/ml on the 21st, his sample from the next day showed 20pg/ml and then only traces on the following two days.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-scientific-expert-de-boer-details-defense
 
Originally Posted by genedan .

Well…It looks like we need to cool the jets a little here.


“The concentration found by the laboratory was estimated at 50 picograms (or 0,000 000 000 05 grams per ml) which is 400 time less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

Could the UCI actually pass a 2-year ban, since the levels appear to be below the minimum threshold? The value looks to be very small, but I don't know much about drugs so I can't reach any reliable conclusions.

Okay, score one more foul up for a WADA lab. Estimated? They are going around talking about estimations and even then being completely wrong about it? 400 times less than what WADA labs found? Who found this new number to be correct?
 
And regardless the amount and of whom found which number to be correct and usable, he had it in his system, he should be banned.

It is a blood doping covering agent so something is definitely going on.
 
In my opinion, Contador is going to be banned.
It does not matter whether he took that substance intentionally or not, whether it improves performance or not. It is a banned substance and it was on his body. Wasn't Ullrich banned in 2002 for taking "extasis"??? It didn't matter then whether someone put the extasis on his drink or Jan took it by himself, it was a banned substance and he was punished for that. The same with Contador.

I wonder if Lance and Bruyneel are celebrating now.
 
Probably should read ....

Traces can also indicate the body has metabnolized the bulk of the substance and he peed it out somewhere along the route before being tested. Lots of pharmacokinetic science behind this stuff... i.e. knowing how fast the body breaks subbstances down and eliminates them. Could be accidental ... could be intentional. He's not the only one.

That said, youcan't credibly suspend Li for 2 years for only slightly more (0.05ng/ml - 0.10ng/ml) than AC's 0.05 and let AC slide. If there is a concerted effort to build a link to Armstrong by fingering riders associated with him (Landis, Li, etc.), AC just got caught up in that net ... rightly or wrongly. But either Li has to be given a pass or AC has to be given the same punishment as Li.


Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

Contador's scientific expert De Boer details defense

Says traces of Clenbuterol [COLOR= #ff0000]can [/COLOR]demonstrate food contamination

The full report from Alberto Contador's scientific expert, Dr. Douwe de Boer, was made public today by the rider's press officer. In it, De Boer details Contador's test results and provides a long list of examples of Clenbuterol contamination in the general population as a result of food contamination.

Contador announced early on Thursday that he tested positive for the drug on July 21, during the second rest day of the Tour de France. The report gives the concentration of Clenbuterol in the Spaniard's sample as 50 picograms/ml, a value 40 times (not 400 as stated by the UCI) below the value that the laboratory should be able to detect.

De Boer also calls into question the lab's declaring an Adverse Analytical Finding for such a low amount, and argues that 50pg is 180 times less than the amount shown to induce physical effects by the drug.

The report states that Contador showed no traces of the drug on July 19 and 20. After finding 50pg/ml on the 21st, his sample from the next day showed 20pg/ml and then only traces on the following two days.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-scientific-expert-de-boer-details-defense
 
Originally Posted by sitzmark .



But either Li has to be given a pass or AC has to be given the same punishment as Li.

This is the issue : if one rider is banned, then the other rider should be banned also.
 
Originally Posted by sitzmark .



Probably should read ....

Traces can also indicate the body has metabnolized the bulk of the substance and he peed it out somewhere along the route before being tested. Lots of pharmacokinetic science behind this stuff... i.e. knowing how fast the body breaks subbstances down and eliminates them. Could be accidental ... could be intentional. He's not the only one.

That said, youcan't credibly suspend Li for 2 years for only slightly more (0.05ng/ml - 0.10ng/ml) than AC's 0.05 and let AC slide. If there is a concerted effort to build a link to Armstrong by fingering riders associated with him (Landis, Li, etc.), AC just got caught up in that net ... rightly or wrongly. But either Li has to be given a pass or AC has to be given the same punishment as Li.
The amount found in the Li case was significantly higher - you should pay attention to the details. Li was found to have a level of 0.05 to 0.10ng/ml compared to Contadors' 50pg/ml

Nano - pico... huge difference.

In Li's case he probably would need to eat a fair chunk of Chinese beef ;)

I suspect that the recent "truce" between the Basque seperatists and the Spanish government in which the Vuelta will head into the far north of Spain for the first time in years was preceeded by a mass beef sabotage campaign to stop the little Spaniard from winning the Vuelta in the Basque mountains. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif
 
Originally Posted by swampy1970 .




The amount found in the Li case was significantly higher - you should pay attention to the details. Li was found to have a level of 0.05 to 0.10ng/ml compared to Contadors' 50pg/ml

Nano - pico... huge difference.

In Li's case he probably would need to eat a fair chunk of Chinese beef ;)

I suspect that the recent "truce" between the Basque seperatists and the Spanish government in which the Vuelta will head into the far north of Spain for the first time in years was preceeded by a mass beef sabotage campaign to stop the little Spaniard from winning the Vuelta in the Basque mountains. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif
Yes, 50pg = 0.05ng. Details... details ... the decimal placement thing and all .... . :wink:
 
If they can strip Landis of his title then Contador should be stripped as well. The rules say you can't have it in your system, regardless of the amount, an amount higher than what Shleck had.

If you allow an excuse for accidental ingestion of a banned substance, then every positive will be an "accidental ingestion".
 
WADA rules are clear.
Every participant is responsible for the intake of all products in their system.
That is the rule as applied by WADA.

It is therefore each riders responsibility to ensure that whatever he ingests is clean.
 
It is sad and pathetic that things have come to this - really questionable whether Landis gained any benefit from his estrogen manipulation antics, but it was clear his intention was to cheat. Questionable performance enhancement here too, but gotta draw a line somewhere .... or give everyone the green light and see what chemistry/biochemistry can produce. Personally I don't see any way to ever stop it. Just too many ways to manipulate body chemistry and the rewards for success very high.
 

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