Alberto Contador is Toast

Seventeen months wasted by the anti-doping crusade and it's nefarious associates to arrive at a decision in the Alberto Contador clenbuterol doping case, which originated on the second rest day of the 2010 Tour de France.  Thousands of dollars were needlessly expended for expert lawyers and witnesses after the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) inexplicably attempted to exonerate Mr. Contador, citing his lack of intent, culpability and responsibility for the existence of a non-threshold steroid detected in his urine.  This incredible exoneration by the RFEC occurred after Mr. Contador rejected a one-year suspension and forfeiture of 2010 Tour de France championship and award money offer made by the RFEC earlier in compliance with WADA code. Well it is certainly difficult to understand how an athlete who refuses a reasonable deal from an organization that holds his professional license, without admitting any guilt, can cajole an exoneration after the fact.  But this miracle occurred and could only occur in Spain, where there seems to be an incredibly tolerant attitude for sport doping offenses and a need to protect national sport heroes.

Well, the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Organization (WADA) did appeal the RFEC exoneration as unreasonable.  The contention by Mr. Contador that his positive A and B urine sample tests for clenbuterol, a known non-threshold steroid and substance that is included on the WADA prohibited list, was the result of dining on a imported cut of imported Spanish veal, brought to the Astana team dinner table to appease the palate of Mr. Contador.  WADA and the UCI argued that the most likely source of the clenbuterol positive result was not contaminated meat, but, more likely a blood transfusion or a contaminated supplement. WADA and the UCI presented evidence of blood irregularities inconsistent with past parameters measured from UCI biological passport data, and an unexplainable "spike" in phathalates,  plastics found in blood transfusion equipment.  The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) heard the UCI and WADA appeal and determined that Mr. Contador did not meet the standard of probability that his positive test was more probable as an innocent ingestion of contaminated beef, than a blood transfusion or a contaminated supplement.  The CAS award overturned  the Spanish Cycling Federation exoneration, suspended Alberto Contador for two years, rescinded all of his titles and purses from the date of the offense, including the 2010 Tour de France, and the 2011 Giro d' Italia.  The suspension is retroactive and Alberto Contador will be allowed to race again in seven months, but, we fanatics will not have to deal with doping Alberto for the 2012 Tour de France.

Andy Schleck will be declared the "winner." There is justice in all of this, of course.  On the col when Andy Schleck suffered "chain suck," a nasty problem that happens usually when shifting on the chain wheel from the large chain wheel to the small chain wheel when the chain is under stress and goes bang off your chain stay.  A nasty problem especially when you are hammering up a steep incline, imagine pedaling under stress, then frictionless!  Almost broke me legs a couple of times doing that stunt.  Of course, the problem happens on the freewheel too, when the chain jumps off the small gear up against the wheel and gets stuck between freewheel and spokes or "spoke protector."  Anyway, it is an unwritten rule among professional cyclists, when a malliot jaune has a mechanical problem such as chain suck, the pack is expected to wait, under an unwritten standard of etiquette. But Alberto Contador in an excess of avarice, attacked Andy Schleck who was the victim of chain suck on a very difficult mountain climb, in direct violation of etiquette and gained critical time which indirectly accounted for Contador's Tour victory. The moral of this story, don't dope during a Grand Tour and don't cheat by using bad tactics.  Then you can live with a clear consciousness.