UCI call Spain acquittal of Alberto Contador of doping

Of GENEYIS (AP)-Alberto Contador of contaminated beef defense will be put to the test again after the International Cycling Union decided Thursday it would appeal the Tour de France champion of doping acquittal. By Josep Lago, AFP/Getty Images

Alberto Contador waves to fans after the fourth stage of the tour of Catalonia on Thursday. Contador leads the race.

By Josep Lago, AFP/Getty Images

Alberto Contador waves to fans after the fourth stage of the tour of Catalonia on Thursday. Contador leads the race.

The UCI said it will be the Court of arbitration for sport to challenge the Spanish cycling Federation's decision not to ban the 28-year-old tested positive for the Contador clenbuterol. "The International Cycling Union decided today — within the timeframe specified by regulations — to appeal to the Court of arbitration for sport in Lausanne during the Spanish cycling Federation statement in the case of Alberto Contador, "the UCI said in a statement on the closing date for appeal."The decision on the appeal comes after an in-depth study of the file received from the (Spanish League). "Contador was acquitted after testing positive for clenbuterol during a test in a competition on 21 July 2010, one day of rest during last year's Tour de France. He blamed the outcome on eating contaminated beef. "I wish the situation was completely different, but I hope my arguments and my lawyers, "said Contador after the maintenance lead in the weekly Volta of Catalunya on Thursday. "I learned to use when I got to the finish line. The race is like any other day. "I am a person who believes that things will happen because supposedly, and perhaps we should go the CAS so that my innocence may prove even more clearly, "he said. "(UCI) had time to see all the documentation has been submitted. I am sure that they have never, ever seen folder as we give. "The World Anti-Doping Agency has three more weeks to decide whether to cooperate with her appeal. UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told the Associated Press that cycling officials had worked closely with WADA and "there is no reason to think they won't join us."WADA for clenbuterol, a banned anabolic agent that burns fat and builds muscle, as zero tolerance drug. However, the rules allow athletes to escape sanction if proven "no fault or negligence". If a CAS array finds guilty of doping, Contador faces a ban of two years and missed the victory Tour to continue racing Contador. until CAS gives a verdictand after the stage on Thursday said it still intends to start may 7, Giro d'Italia-29, which won the 2008. The Volta, Contador riding for the first time, finished Sunday in Barcelona. CAS Secretary General Matthieu Reeb said Thursday it would be difficult but not impossible "before the recitation of a tour of the year that begins on 2 July. Allowing Contador an opportunity to defend the title when disabled. "If all parties agree that an accelerated procedure, reasonably could be considered the CAS for a final decision at the end of June, "Reeb said in a statement to the AP, adding that the WADA in the case that could extend the schedule by choosing to pursue greater. name of the sport has been difficult for UCICarpani said Thursday, at the World Championships in the Netherlands. "Each case is painful for us ... because we would like to have a sport without doping cases "Carpani said, adding that the UCI would wanted to prove that it is able to get" better judgment "in the case. "We want for ourselves, for Contador, and for the whole sport of cycling."The UCI announced last September that Contador was suspended temporarily after traces of clenbuterol, and found the system requested by the Spanish Federation to investigate the Spanish organisation. Disciplinary Committee originally proposed a one-year ban for Contador in January. The legal team of Contador and then offered new evidence and he was cleared to race three weeks later "we are the judge now, not judges, together with Contador," the Spanish cycling Federation spokesman Luis Roman told the associated Press. In a later statementthe Federation said it will support a disciplinary panel's verdict, "taking any necessary action to preserve the innocence of the athlete."Days before the decision to clear the Contador, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said "there is no legal reason to justify the imposition of sanctions Contador."Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetzky Spain said Thursday he hoped the Court on the basis of the Swiss acted quickly to "put an end to a situation that does not benefit anyone." "I have confidence in the independence of the CAS and that the resolutions will be taken as soon as possible," said Spanish media Lissavetzky.Contador continued his career with new team Saxo Bank-Sungard and since then has completed two games. He was fourth in the tour of the Algarve in Portugal and won the Vuelta Murcia owner Bjarne Riis Bahrain. Team called for a quick decision and said it stood by its Star Rider. "Alberto Contador was acquitted in the first place and thus is innocent of any deliberate wrongdoing by ruling says something else, "said Riis, the 1996 Tour winner who later admitted to doping during his career. "If this is a case of accidental intake of a prohibited substance, we will continue to support Alberto Contador. In our opinion, it would be wrong to do anything else. "Contador is a only five cyclists to win the three Grand Tours-the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Spanish Vuelta. He also won the tour in 2007 and 2009 and was the first defense of the title of 2008 because the team Astana was banned doping offenses in the race last year. only one cyclist has lost a headline tour anti-doping. Floyd Landis of the United States had been stripped of the victory of 2006 for testing positive for testosterone..

AP: IOC doping official disputes contaminated food as defence

LONDON (AP) — the ILO's top doping official said he has seen no convincing evidence that athletes accidentally testing positive for clenbuterol or other prohibited drugs by eating infected meat. By Fabrice Coffrini, associated Press

Arne Ljungqvist invites claims tainted meat resulting in positive drug tests "old stories".

By Fabrice Coffrini, associated Press

Arne Ljungqvist invites claims tainted meat resulting in positive drug tests "old stories".

In an interview Friday with the Associated Press, Prof Arne Ljungqvist said claims. contamination of food in cases of doping are "old stories" going back 30 years and has never been accepted by an array of international sport.Ljungqvist, Chairman of the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee and Vice-president of the world Doping Agency, said he remains doubtful claims accidental doping — a defense that has been used by Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and others.Ljungqvist said the sporting world should continue to work on the principle of "strict liability", whereby athletes are responsible for what is on their system. "Of course, any trial or court hearing will excuse a person, if it could be 100%, has proved to be a random topic, that was completely beyond the possibilities to test (prohibited substances), "he said. "So far we have not had such a case."Ljungqvist said he could not comment specifically on Contador, cleared the Spanish cycling Federation this month after accusing positive test of clenbuterol during last year's tour for eating contaminated Spanish beef. the International Federation of cycling, UCI study the decision before deciding whether to Contador appeal. The World Anti-Doping Agency also appealed to the Court of arbitration for sport. "It is the first time that a National Federation world their own athlete, "Ljungqvist said in a telephone interview from Sweden. "For this reason we have this assurance of a system of appeal."You have had such cases even back in the 1980s, and until now there has been no hearing panel has accepted these arguments at the end, "he added. "We have ethnic groups have been sorry those athletes, but when he came to the final decision, have all been ruled guilty."In 2009, the CAS Panel rejected a Polish canoeist Adam Seroczynski's claims that the positive test for clenbuterol at the summer Olympics in Beijing was the result of "food tampering" by organizers fed the contaminated meat. ILO expert witness in the case rejected the likelihood of accidental contamination.Clenbuterol is WADA list of prohibited substances as an anabolic agent which causes muscle and fat burning. It is also used illegally by farmers to bulk up livestock.Ljungqvist served as Chairman of the IAAF Medical Committee from 1980-2004 and participated in many of the largest cases of doping "in athletics.This is so far from the old stories, "said the defence food contamination. "It is not simply clenbuterol. Declare that they have already mixed alkylnaphthalenes from what they had eaten. "Ljungqvist recalled listening in the early 1980s by a Norwegian shot putter who blamed the positive test, a case that led to the adoption of strict liability rule. "You have to make sure that you do not receive restricted substances in your body in every way, "he said.Ljungqvist has little particular to a recent study of clenbuterol contamination from the WADA-accredited laboratory in Cologne, Germany. The lab found that 22 of the 28 passengers returning to Germany from China tested positive for the low levels of clenbuterol, probably from contamination of food caused by misuse of the drug in cattle farming. the study was prompted by the case of the German table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharovwho accused of clenbuterol test on contaminated meat. The German Federation decided not to ban, and WADA chose not to Undo. "for me this does not seem to be a scientific study with double-checking and control hardware and everything," said Ljungqvist. "Haven't seen a properly designed scientific design to demonstrate this fact."Asked for evidence of clenbuterol contamination in China, he said, "I don't know. If it were so, I think we should have a number of cases. "WADA Director General David Howman said this week the Agency has asked China for information about using steroids to increase.Zhao Jian, Deputy Director of China's anti-doping agency, rejected the conclusions of the Cologne lab.Zhao called "problematic", the German laboratory warning about Chinese food questioned the science behind it and said it unfairly pointed out a finger at China. Zhao is noted that Germany had a recent dioxin-tainted food scandal which led to the closure of thousands of farms that sell eggs, poultry and pork. It also said there are dozens of reported cases of clenbuterol doping labs around the world each year, not only in China. "Not food safety is an issue for only one country or a region, "said Zhao. "It is a global problem".