Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine tested positive for opium because she had eaten a poppy seed muffin? Like most Seinfeld episodes, it was hilarious. But real life situations like that are anything but laughing matters, and one is happening now. It's every bit as outrageous as the Seinfeld episode, except it's not remotely funny. And those advancing the absurdity have sparked a war in the already wild world of professional cycling.
The Tour de France ranks among the world's top sporting events. Watched by hundreds of millions around the world, it is the ultimate test of strength and endurance. A Tour winner becomes an instant worldwide celebrity, making millions through endorsements and personal appearances. With stakes so high, cheating is always a threat. With that in mind, the athletes in the race are subjected to what could be the most rigorous testing for performance enhancing drugs in all of sport.
Rumors constantly circulate around the media and Tour about how so-and-so must be doping, despite the rigorous testing. Seven time champion Lance Armstrong is still hounded by these unsubstantiated rumors even though he has never failed a drug test of any sort. While it would seem to the rest of us that no human could ride a bike more than 2000 miles so quickly, especially through the Alps, without something aiding them, we also do not train constantly for years to do just that.
The reigning champion of the Tour is three time winner Alberto Contador from Spain. He's also one of the people who has faced those unfounded rumors of doping. But Contador not only fought back, he won. But rumors are currency in the media these days, and the media loves to spend, so those rumors are still floating around in the sports media besmirching Contador's reputation and adding pressure to ban him from this year's Tour. Madness.
The so-called controversy arose last year after the race was over and Contador had won. The leader of the Tour de France throughout the race wears the "Yellow Jersey" to signify their lead. Along with the prestige of being the leader, it also comes with a thorough drug test every single day you wear it.
On July 21st, 2010, during the Tour de France, an off day, while Contador wearing the Yellow Jersey, a trace amount of a substance called Clenbuterol was found in his urine. How small is a "trace amount"? It was 40 times less than the minimum amount to be detectable for a laboratory to be accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the gold standard for testing. Essentially it wasn't enough to affect a mouse.
Even more bizarre is why would a professional cyclist, who strives for a slight, aerodynamic frame (more body mass means more wind resistance, a distinct disadvantage in a race of this sort) use a drug designed to help beef cattle put on muscle and weight (it also helps some people with asthma)? The trace amount of the steroid was detected in a test administered to Contador on the day before the start of the Alps phase of the race, a time when competitors certainly want to be at their lightest.
Finally, and perhaps most perplexing, is the fact that Contador had been tested the day before and the day after the "positive" test came back. The test the day before came back negative for Clenbuterol or any other illegal substances. The tests the days after came back positive for smaller amounts of Clenbuterol than he had in his system on the first positive test -- proving when he ate the tainted meat and that it happened one time only.
Why would anyone take an ineffective dose of a banned drug designed to do the opposite of anything helpful to you in your sport? The answer is easy. He didn't intentionally ingest it.
It turns out that Clenbuterol has another use, a use that exposes millions to it every day without knowing -- farming. Clenbuterol is often used by beef farmers to bulk up the cattle to yield more beef and, while in most cases illegal, is rather common. And, wouldn't you know it, Alberto Contador, on the day in which he tested positive had a big steak for dinner that the team Chef ordered from Spain.
This is the case Contador made before the Spanish Federation, the governing body of the cycling world in Spain, and he won. But there are rumors circulating that Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) may challenge the ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to keep Contador out of this year's Tour.
His team has already done the nearly impossible, proving a negative. Pressing the issue and appealing that decision would be simply absurd. It is critically important for the reputation of the scandal-plagued sport (not to mention the reputation of a clearly innocent 3-time Tour champion) that the governing bodies direct their energy toward catching real cheaters (there are plenty) using real performance-enhancing drugs, while allowing for the fact that accidental ingestion of a steroid that would HARM a cyclist's performance is not only possible, but likely.
Unlike Seinfeld, where Elaine ended up getting a "sample" from Jerry's mother to pass the test, this isn't funny. Alberto Contador was tested in the days before, the day after and all days after that, and all tests were negative, even for the insignificant trace amounts of Clenbuterol. Given the facts of the case and the realities of the race, any additional action by the UCI would reek of vendetta, something else for which the sport is, unfortunately, known. The real challenge here is to the media to trumpet his vindication with the same zeal with which they cheered his alleged demise.
Christian Josi is a noted recording artist, activist, and occasional columnist. He is based in Washington, D.C.
Editor's Note: This post has been revised to more extensively describe the various uses of Clenbuterol ("Clen") and to more accurately explain the nature of Alberto Contador's test results in the days following July 21st, 2010.
WADA Appeals to CAS Over Contador Acquittal:
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=Al4QQuc1S8q4I9uztTQyITt.grcF?slug=ap-doping-contador
UCI’s Pat McQuaid says appeal ‘necessary’ in Alberto Contador case (here you can read Spain's Prime Minister's comments, and McQuaid's response):
http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/03/news/ucis-pat-mcquaid-says-appeal-‘necessary’-in-alberto-contador-case_165881
there were no plasticizers in his sample. these were rumours from the german ard (who have been on a blind crusade for years now) and taken over without checking by the new york times. they were mentioned (even as additional cercumstance) in the recent courtcase which contained all the evidence... no plasticisers mean no blood-doping. and these really minute traces of clenbuterol for a few days indeed do nothing to enhance his performance.
the lab had to meet a set or procedural standards, but the sample was tested better than the level required by the rules. with the current highly sophisticated labs and the scientific knowledge it would have been fair to keep up a realistic minimum. shown by this article:
http://martinbudden.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/contador-%E2%80%93-cheat-or-bad-meat/
and this article (with its links) shows how tainted (clenbuterol) meat is still in use within several EU-countries and heavily imported from south-america among others. (!!!)
http://hub.velocentric.com/clenbuterol-contamination-in-the-food-chain-i
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-meat-contamination-more-than-possible-says-spanish-agricultural-association
this contaminated beef came all the way from Spain???
he did NOT share his dinner with his teammates???
as per report, clenbuterol has been banned in Europe since mid-90s and only one cattle tested possitive out of 20000 in 2008.
And by luck, he happened to eat this contaminated beef that came from Spain, during a rest day before the hardest stage in the TdF, all by himself and not sharing with his teammates???
What's next? i took a bottle water from a spectator which is laced with EPO and it's unintentional?
Really, this is the excuse you're going to give!?
Rumors constantly circulate around the media and Tour about how so-and-so must be doping, despite the rigorous testing. - (better than most sports but hardly rigorous.)
-(wow the third paragraph before you bring up LA, restraint like a teen that lasts more than 30sec, surely adds impartiality and credibility).
give your head a shake and stick to the music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFeXR7JPN6w
NICE
The simple fact is some people who love the sport hate certain riders and are, therefore, willing to believe any conspiracy anyone on the web weaves about the riders they don't like. It's what was behind the attacks on Lance Armstrong and, I suspect, what's behind the "theories" spelled out in this comment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/sports/cycling/05cycling.html
In part, the article says the following:
"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."
Moreover, said Pierre Bodry, the ex-French doping chief, in an interview "it doesn’t matter how small the quantity is. Clenbuterol is on the banned list” He went on to express doubt in Contatdor's argument, but did allow for "anything could happen". This interview can be read here (by a relatively well-informed publication called VeloNews):
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/10/news/former-french-doping-chief-says-there-have-been-suspicions-about-contador-since-july_144224
And by the way - I grew up in Switzerland and am a cycling nut and have watched every Grand Tour since Hinault, Pantani and Ulrich, and of course LA.
This needn't be a pissing match, but if you want to make it one I will win.
http://www¬.nytimes.c¬om/2010/10¬/05/sports¬/cycling/0¬5cycling.h¬tml
In part, the article says the following:
"That new test detects a specific type of chemical, called a plasticize¬r, that is found in plastic IV bags. Evidence of that chemical in an athlete’s urine could mean the athlete has used a blood transfusio¬n to boost endurance.¬"
Moreover, said Pierre Bodry, the ex-French doping chief, in an interview "it doesn’t matter how small the quantity is. Clenbutero¬l is on the banned list” He went on to express doubt in Contatdor'¬s argument, but did allow for "anything could happen". This interview can be read here (by a relatively well-infor¬med publicatio¬n called VeloNews):
http://vel¬onews.comp¬etitor.com¬/2010/10/n¬ews/former¬-french-do¬ping-chief¬-says-ther¬e-have-bee¬n-suspicio¬ns-about-c¬ontador-si¬nce-july_1¬44224
And by the way - I grew up in Switzerlan¬d and am a cycling nut and have watched every Grand Tour since Hinault, Pantani and Ulrich, and of course LA.
I would say my response was objective, well informed and not at all misleading. Unless you call the various experts misleading. But that would be a crazy conspiracy....