For three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, fate has been a rollercoaster: after testing positive for banned substances, he went through a temporary suspension by the International Cycling Union, a penalty reversal by the Spanish Cycling Federation, and an appeal by anti-doping authorities to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Yesterday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport officially announced a two-year ban and stripped him of his 2010 Tour de France overall victory title!
Having already won the Tour de France in both 2007 and 2008, Contador had just claimed his third title in 2010 when, before he could fully celebrate, the International Cycling Union announced in August that his urine sample from the July race had tested positive for trace amounts of clenbuterol (commonly known as “lean meat powder”), leading to a provisional suspension. Soon after, the Spanish Cycling Federation also handed him a one-year ban. However, Contador and his management consistently maintained that the positive test was due to accidentally consuming meat contaminated with clenbuterol, and the Spanish Cycling Federation overturned the ban just three weeks later in February 2011, allowing him to compete immediately.
Nevertheless, both the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) never accepted his explanation of accidental ingestion, insisting the positive result was unrelated to food. “We’ve heard such claims before. We’ve dismissed them in many cases,” WADA director David said dismissively at the time. “It’s quite common.” As a result, after the Spanish Cycling Federation lifted the ban, both organizations appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Nevertheless, both the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) never accepted his explanation of accidental ingestion, insisting the positive result was unrelated to food. “We’ve heard such claims before. We’ve dismissed them in many cases,” WADA director David said dismissively at the time. “It’s quite common.” As a result, after the Spanish Cycling Federation lifted the ban, both organizations appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
This appeal was even compared to the case of Chinese judo Olympic champion Tong Wen, but Contador was clearly not as fortunate. After nearly two years of investigation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced yesterday (Beijing time) that it upheld the appeals from the International Cycling Union and WADA.
Contador is the second rider to be stripped of a Tour de France title due to a positive drug test, following 2006 champion Floyd Landis. In addition to losing his 2010 Tour de France overall title, his 2011 Giro d’Italia championship will also be revoked. His two-year ban runs from August 6, 2010 to August 6, 2012, which also caused him to narrowly miss the London Olympics, set to open on July 27.