News channels here are reporting that AC is calling on the UCI/WADA to look at the issue of quantity thresholds of prohibited products.
Contador positive for Clenbuterol
- Thread starter genedan
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Cycling news
Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador defended himself against from accusations that his positive doping test was the result of a blood transfusion, telling Reuters today that he never received transfusions during the Tour de France. A sample taken from the rider on July 21, during the Tour's second rest day in Pau, was found positive for Clenbuterol, it was announced this week.
While Contador and his scientific expert put forth the explanation that contaminated meat was behind the test result, several sources have speculated that the substance was in tainted blood which Contador re-infused on the rest day. L'Equipe reported today that his blood showed traces of a chemical that could support this theory, but Contador denied he had taken transfusions or any other drugs.
"If they want to test every sample I've given in the Tour, at as many different laboratories as they want, or if they want to freeze it for three or five years until other future tests are scientifically validated and then check it, they can do it," Contador told Reuters. "I have nothing to hide."
Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent but at a level 40 times less than the minimum required for authorised anti-doping laboratories to be able to detect. The 27-year-old Spaniard insists the positive test was a result of contaminated meat and that threshold levels need to be set for a positive test, not the mere presence alone of the substance.
"It just can't be that positives for contaminated food stuff like mine are placed in the same category as a standard positive for doping," Contador told Reuters. "There has to be a limit set for substances like Clenbuterol so that quantities as tiny as those found in my body due to contaminated food do not count as a positive.
"There should be [a threshold set]... the norms have to evolve, just as they have done for other substances like caffeine, where they changed the regulations because they realised they weren't right. In the case of Clenbuterol, positives should be positives because of the quantity found, with a specific limit, not because of the substance itself."
Contador admitted to feeling immense stress as a result of the allegations.
"I feel like I'm at rock bottom. I feel really let down. I'm fighting against these accusations 24 hours of each day," he said. "What I want is for all of these doubts and suspicions, even the slightest ones, to be cleared up completely and permanently
Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador defended himself against from accusations that his positive doping test was the result of a blood transfusion, telling Reuters today that he never received transfusions during the Tour de France. A sample taken from the rider on July 21, during the Tour's second rest day in Pau, was found positive for Clenbuterol, it was announced this week.
While Contador and his scientific expert put forth the explanation that contaminated meat was behind the test result, several sources have speculated that the substance was in tainted blood which Contador re-infused on the rest day. L'Equipe reported today that his blood showed traces of a chemical that could support this theory, but Contador denied he had taken transfusions or any other drugs.
"If they want to test every sample I've given in the Tour, at as many different laboratories as they want, or if they want to freeze it for three or five years until other future tests are scientifically validated and then check it, they can do it," Contador told Reuters. "I have nothing to hide."
Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent but at a level 40 times less than the minimum required for authorised anti-doping laboratories to be able to detect. The 27-year-old Spaniard insists the positive test was a result of contaminated meat and that threshold levels need to be set for a positive test, not the mere presence alone of the substance.
"It just can't be that positives for contaminated food stuff like mine are placed in the same category as a standard positive for doping," Contador told Reuters. "There has to be a limit set for substances like Clenbuterol so that quantities as tiny as those found in my body due to contaminated food do not count as a positive.
"There should be [a threshold set]... the norms have to evolve, just as they have done for other substances like caffeine, where they changed the regulations because they realised they weren't right. In the case of Clenbuterol, positives should be positives because of the quantity found, with a specific limit, not because of the substance itself."
Contador admitted to feeling immense stress as a result of the allegations.
"I feel like I'm at rock bottom. I feel really let down. I'm fighting against these accusations 24 hours of each day," he said. "What I want is for all of these doubts and suspicions, even the slightest ones, to be cleared up completely and permanently
Actually it didn't. Said test for residue from blood bags isn't approved - so technically he can't be charged accordingly. All it does is add suspicion but WADA/UCI is not there to deal with suspicion, they're there to deal with analytical findings via approved due process. But... there's always the "McQuaid factor." The immense inverse level of professionalism and poise.
But it does bring up a good point - any sample should test the same at any accredited lab.
"Regarding the plasticisers maybe he had boil in the bag rice on the rest day? """
The plasticiser wasn't ingested, it was injected. In order for this test to be meaningful, ingested plasticiser would not show up in the blood.
The plasticiser wasn't ingested, it was injected. In order for this test to be meaningful, ingested plasticiser would not show up in the blood.
"Actually it didn't. Said test for residue from blood bags isn't approved - so technically he can't be charged accordingly. "
He doesn't have to be charged with blood doping. They've got him for clenbuterol. The blood doping will not be officially brought in, but it will effect how they use his clen positive. They will understand that the contamination came from Contador's own blood, not from any steak.
He doesn't have to be charged with blood doping. They've got him for clenbuterol. The blood doping will not be officially brought in, but it will effect how they use his clen positive. They will understand that the contamination came from Contador's own blood, not from any steak.
Looks like the gloves are off for at least some of the guys in the peleton:
From Yoann Offredo of FDJ:
"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."
From Yoann Offredo of FDJ:
"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."
i agree with contador on this one actually.. and said so in an earlier post.. there should definitely minimums set so we don't get problems like this.. and labs should have uniform levels they test for i find that kind of ridiculous.. sure we want to catch dope cheats but the system needs to be fair.
Perhaps I'm missing something here. If the amount detected was some 40 times below the required detection threshold capability for WADA labs, then were all samples tested at the same "super lab" that detected the trace amount in AC's sample? The standard of zero, or "as low as the world's best lab can possibly detect" leaves everything open to a lot of uncertainty and the real possibility of bias. Without a "max allowable" level, which is well above the threshold all WADA labs can reliably detect, there is too much uncertainly in the testing for the system to be fair to all.
Zero tolerance may look good on paper, but when does it turn into a witch hunt? Detecting down to picogram levels is a wonderful feat of modern science, but what does it mean, since it's well below the level which could possibly result in any advantage to the athlete. Would be interesting to know how many of us have at least 50 picograms/ml of clenbuterol or other banned substances in our blood.
Zero tolerance may look good on paper, but when does it turn into a witch hunt? Detecting down to picogram levels is a wonderful feat of modern science, but what does it mean, since it's well below the level which could possibly result in any advantage to the athlete. Would be interesting to know how many of us have at least 50 picograms/ml of clenbuterol or other banned substances in our blood.
Well thats a turn for the worst;
Quote: nytimes.com That new test detects a specific type of chemical, called a plasticizer, that is found in plastic IV bags. Evidence of that chemical in an athlete’s urine could mean the athlete has used a blood transfusion to boost endurance. A test performed on at least one of Contador’s urine samples from the Tour revealed levels of that chemical eight times higher than the minimum amount that signifies doping, according to a person with knowledge of the test results.
this is a total witch hunt...
this test for plasticizers is not even an approved test... like i said.. i'm all for getting dope cheats.. but the system needs to be fair, scientifically validated, approvals needs to happen and process needs to be followed.. i'm a total lance hater, but i understand and fully support his 6 non-negatives for EPO in 1999 not being used to sanction him.. we need fairness.. we need procedures to be followed.. this is madness!
and why does no one get fired when these leaks happen? it can't be that hard to figure out who has leaked this stuff can it?
this test for plasticizers is not even an approved test... like i said.. i'm all for getting dope cheats.. but the system needs to be fair, scientifically validated, approvals needs to happen and process needs to be followed.. i'm a total lance hater, but i understand and fully support his 6 non-negatives for EPO in 1999 not being used to sanction him.. we need fairness.. we need procedures to be followed.. this is madness!
and why does no one get fired when these leaks happen? it can't be that hard to figure out who has leaked this stuff can it?
For once, it seems, I agree with doctorSpoc on this one.
There's supposed to be a due process in place that's followed. Part of that process is storing samples for later analysis, if so desired. Once that test for plasticizers is approved and found to be a way of proving, without doubt, that transfusions took place then run the samples through the test - until then it's just another piece in a media circus that only seems to further the careers of those who can shout the loudest.
There's supposed to be a due process in place that's followed. Part of that process is storing samples for later analysis, if so desired. Once that test for plasticizers is approved and found to be a way of proving, without doubt, that transfusions took place then run the samples through the test - until then it's just another piece in a media circus that only seems to further the careers of those who can shout the loudest.
This doesn't look good at all. I have to agree with those saying that you can't use the plasticizer test because it's not validated. Still, it's kind of how like in the early days of cybercrime and securities fraud a lot of the hackers and fraudsters went free because there were no laws against it at the time…an uncomfortable feeling.
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