Hang A U-Turn!

Wow. I have to say that I didn't expect this.
Confirmed: Alberto Contador Cleared of Clenbuterol Charges
Spanish fed clears Alberto Contador...

And it sounds like he's going to be on the start-line at Algarve on Wednesday.

I wonder that it turned out this way. I know that Alberto is a huge national hero in Spain and many have hailed him as the next great racer of his generation. However, in the past few years, the UCI, WADA, and other national cycling federations have really begun to clamp down on doping of any kind, seemingly intentional or not. Look at Tom Zirbel's case, if you don't believe me. The sport seems to be really trying to clean itself up. So, why apparently go "easy" on a rider, even a champion, who had a banned substance in his blood? In the past, it seems to me, regardless of intent or how the substance got into a rider's body, they got slapped with a fine and a minimum two-year suspension from rider.

So, what prompted a decision like this? The untarnished image of a champion rider never before popped for doping? The fact that he had enough money to hire lawyers and had a team around him to deflect, spin, and protect? Perhaps I'm becoming cycnical in my old age, but why should that matter? I was under the impression that the system is set up to make sure everyone gets a fair shake, am I wrong?

So, what do I think? I think the decision to drop the charges was a fair one, since no one seems to really know how the clenbuterol entered Alberto's system. But what does a decision like that say about all the other riders who have said they unknowingly ingested a banned substance and their protests of innocence went unaknowledged?

I'm glad I'm not the one making these decisions.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Alberto's Case, Continued

At a press conference in Spain earlier today, Alberto Contador once again protested that he never doped in his career. He lashed out at the media for dragging his name through the mud and the anti-doping rules and the system that enforces them.

At news conference, Contador vows to appeal
Contador Will Appeal Tour de France Doping Sanction

I'm sorry, but I've heard all this before. Floyd Landis sang a very similar song for years and look how that ended up.

That said, I think Alberto will fair better in whatever way he chooses to fight the sanction. He has wisely let his agent and his lawyers do much of the talking, rather than blindly flailing about as Floyd did. Alberto has allowed himself to be advised and guided (to a certain extent) by his legal team and has wisely not proposed any truly outlandish theories (contaminated whisky, really Floyd?) of how he believes clenbuterol entered his system.

What do I think? I think it's odd that only a small amount of the banned substance was detected and that plastics that could indicate blood transfusions were also detected. I think it's a shame that the anti-doping system that is so supposedly broken is still in place, without anyone willing to step up and propose changes. I think it's a tragedy of magnanimous proportions that some riders feel they must dope to gain an edge.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Uh... Uh... Uh...

I step away from my computer for a bit to go workout and this happens!
Contador suspended one year, stripped of 2010 Tour de France title

I am absolutely flabbergasted. I thought Alberto would somehow slide on consequences resulting from his positive test for clenbuterol due to the small amount and the fact that no one seems to really know how the substance got into his system.

I'm not even sure how to feel about this. I'll be back with more once I've let this sink in.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

That's...

not what I was hoping to hear.
Newspaper reports WADA unable to confirm Alberto Contador's tainted beef claim

Man, I don't know what to believe anymore. I really want to let due process take it's time to uncover and analyze the evidence available. But as more time passes, it looks worse and worse for Alberto.

And what's the truth? Is Alberto a doper? Or was this just the worst possible confluence of unfortunate and unintended circumstances?

I think I'll wait until the official report from UCI and WADA is released to pass any sort of judgement.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Worse and Worse

Things are not looking good for Alberto:
New York Times: Tour Champ Contador Fails Second Doping Test

This is scary. Bernhard Kohl's comments at the end of the article? S**t. He had drugs in his system half the time and was only popped once? Unbelievable.

It seems like professional cycling has really become a Catch-22.
If you dope, you have a better chance of winning against other riders who are probably doping, thus you look good to the peloton, your sponsors, teammates, and fans. But you risk getting caught and having those wins taken away, loosing your livelihood, fans, and public respect and credibility.
If you don't dope, it's harder to win races against those who have an unfair advantage through doping, you risk losing your position on the team because you don't have results and you have a difficult time getting a new team for next season... It shouldn't be like this!

I'm thoroughly disgusted and right now, I'm this close to giving up hope that our beloved sport will ever be clean.

Ugh, I'm going for a ride.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Wait, what?!

UPDATE: 9/30/2010
VeloNews.com: Alberto on doping report...
It looks like Alberto's experts are saying this is food contamination and ingestion was unintentional. I hope that's the case. I'm so sick of this.

I turned on my computer after my ride tonight and what do I find headlined on VeloNews, but this:
VeloNews.com: Contador tests positive for low levels of clenbuterol

I have no idea what to think. Hopefully, a more complete story will unfold tomorrow at the press conference.