So does anyone else still believe he isn’t under the influence of beef?
either he’s really that good or the others are really crap in comparison.

Liked yesterdays fan who ran in front of him on the Zoncolan with a fishing rod with a steak on the end!

3 tours, 1 giro, 1 vuelta. Great rider. Love watching him climb.

Love watching him climb.

Dancing on the pedals they say. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look so relaxed on the climbs.

Personally I’m not keen on him but if he is clean then theres no taking away his ability.

surely even if he’d taken something before he wouldn’t do it now with all the attention/testing. so if he’s not taking anything now – wow!

contador, the armstrong of this decade….best rider by far and no one can beleive it isn’t through doping. Such as shame for cycling.

I find this whole Armstrong witch hunt very annoying.

best rider by far and no one can beleive it isn’t through doping

Perhaps, that’s because it is?

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look so relaxed on the climbs.

I think Ivan Basso pre ban looked somehow cooler, and Rasmussen showed that even the skinny gits have to work for their altitude but you’re right – he just looks like its 0 effort to knock out a col or two after 150Km.

Irrespective of the doping discussions, I thought that the way he took the yellow from Schleck last year was cheap. Yes, Schleck messed up a gear change by the look of it but even so, his weak arguments about not knowing etc just cheapened the whole thing.

On the climbing alone though, he’s awesome although I did like the fact the guy behind him was closing towards the finish yesterday.

On CN there is a thread entitled “Contadors Head”
It’s hilarious…

If I believed he was clean then I’d be impressed by the way he rides and attacks, unfortunately though he’s not so what he does is an irrelevance and is destroying the Giro as it’s totally screwing up everyone else’s tactics.

If I believed he was clean then I’d be impressed by the way he rides and attacks, unfortunately though he’s not so what he does is an irrelevance and is destroying the Giro as it’s totally screwing up everyone else’s tactics.

I refuse to believe he’d be so stupid as to risk doping while the Tour scandal is still going on – IMO this is one race where he’s guaranteed to be clean.

Mogrim – but he has gained his advantage thru past doping perhaps?

@mogrim – even if there’s no ratified test for what he’s doing?

Mogrim – but he has gained his advantage thru past doping perhaps?

What past doping TJ? TJ you’re boring.

I am hoping that Andy Schleck has a great tour as well and there is no runaway leader this year.

The past doping he tested positive for. You know – steroids and plastisisers in his blood.

He failed a test. he is a doper and should be banned. its ridiculous he is still allowed to race. Any other sport he would be banned.

And he’s still allowed to race, so clearly your wasting your time and energy here. Perhaps you’d be better wasting spending your time talking to Carlos Castaño asking him why Alberto can continue riding when the experts say he shouldn’t. If you look around here you might find his email address.

He’s only racing because the Spanish Federation didn’t follow the rules, which is why UCI/WADA have taken it to CAS. He tested positive for Clenbuterol – the Spanish Federation should have then handed Contador a 2 year ban based on strict liability, then he would have been able to appeal based on his ‘ate dodgy beef’ story.

If the proper process had been followed Contador wouldn’t be riding the Giro, and in all likelihood he’ll win it, then have the title stripped from him when his hearing at CAS comes up in June. Any ban would start from when he tested positive, which was last July.

And that’s not even bringing the plasticizers into it.

The plaastacisers is just internet rumor..

I don’t think he will be banned. The Spanish Fed would not had cleared him if there was not some form of evidence that supported his story.

It wasn’t the Spanish Federation’s place to clear him in the first instance. It should have been an automatic 2 year ban for a positive test, then they would hear Contador’s appeal and decide if he had a case for having the ban overturned, reduced or left at 2 years.

His story is irrelevant. Strict liability should apply as it does in every other sport. You can get shorter bans for accidental ingestion as Alain Baxter did but he still lost his bronze olympic medal and got a 3 month ban (IIRC)

The very fact he is racing in the Giro shows the contempt the Spanish federation have for the rules and that doping in cycling is still not taken seriously.

He failed a drug test he should be serving a ban.

The Spanish Fed would not had cleared him if there was not some form of evidence that supported his story. backhander

FTFY

I seriously doubt there’s any past advantage to be gained from doping over a year ago, though.

Agree that he should have been banned, though I think a year would have been more than sufficient. Sad to say he failed the test, and the strict liability clause means a ban.

@mogrim – even if there’s no ratified test for what he’s doing?

So you’re saying ban him for something, just in case? By that same token, ban all the riders! Even Cavendish: after all, there’s no ratified test for whatever it is he’s on!

The very fact he is racing in the Giro shows the contempt the Spanish federation have for the rules and that doping in cycling is still not taken seriously

There’s no contempt for the rules, they’ve done everything they can to wriggle out of them – following them to the letter. In part it’s the cultural difference between common law (the spirit of the law) versus napoleonic code (the word of the law).

The international rules are clear I thought. Strict liability applies. Fail a drugs test get a ban

He went down in my estimations when he dropped schleck during his chain incident in last years tour. He is an amazing climber no doubt at all.

I’m talking about testing for plasticizers to catch autologous doping but you’re right there’s a lot more than just Contador doing it however if plasticizers really did show up in his dodgy sample then at least that’s direct evidence and it explains the presence of a trace of clenbuterol (there would be little point him using it on it’s own on a rest day in a stage race in such a small quantity).

Dancing on the pedals they say. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look so relaxed on the climbs.

Yes you have…
Mr LA himself, of course he never ate any dodgy beef to achieve his climbing ability 🙄

Trouble is I liked LA, he just consumed what his competitors consumed. Contador doesn’t have that excuse.

The Spanish Federation also dragged their heels on dealing with Valverde, and again it took the CAS to force them to ban him. Like Contador, Valverde was able to ride until the inevitable CAS decision.

I like him and I think it’s great that so many people get themselves all wound up over it. Makes it all tthe more exciting! 😀

Wasn’t the amount found in his samples absolutely tiny and in no way possible capable of giving him any sort of advantage?

And I woon’t expect him to be so silly as to be doping at the moment, so his recent perfomance is all down to his natural ability. Maybe, just maybe, he is actually clean, you know? Ever considered that?

There was a fair amount of anti-Contador vitriol before the doping scandal. Lot of people don’t want him to succeed, for some reason.

I thought that the way he took the yellow from Schleck last year was cheap. Yes, Schleck messed up a gear change by the look of it but even so, his weak arguments about not knowing etc just cheapened the whole thing.

See? 😆

I loved the way he showed no mercy, and punished Schleck. It’s a race, not a popularity contest ffs. I love the way he looks round at other riders, right into their eyes, almost mocking them, then accelerates away from them. I do that to people on climbs; it destroys their spirit. Crush the weak like the dogs they are! 😈

You can get shorter bans for accidental ingestion as Alain Baxter did

Oh here we go. So some Scottish ski-ist ‘accidentally’ ingested something, but Contador is definitely a cheat? Cos, like, that’s fair and balanced, of course. 🙄

What a lot of nonsense some of you lot spout.

I hope Bertie goes and wins for the next five years. Make you lot even more peed-off.

That would please me immensely. 🙂

Elf – he failed a drug test by the rules he should be banned. Amounts and how it got there is only relevant to the length of the ban.

I used Alain Baxter as an example as he did accidently ingest and still lost his olympic medal and got a ban. However as it was accidental it was a short ban

I used Alain Baxter as an example as he did accidently ingest

Yeah. Right. Course he did. 😉

Cos like, you’re not biased at all in favour of some Scottish ski-ist against some swarthy Spaniard, are you? Oh not, not at all vicar….

😆

Keep going. I love all this.

When all said and done, you can’t polish a turd!

He has to be good to get to the grand tour stages, to be accused of doping in the first place. If it was just a case of taking drugs we’d all be at it!!!

Elf – I suggest you look up the Baxter case.

Can’t be bothered. Not actually interested. Find it amusing that you stick up for one bloke what happens to be Scottish, yet are quick to condemn someone else who claims to have also accidentally ingested something (which is entirely possible, after all).

You just don’t like Bertie cos more ladies fancy him than fancy you. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Look, he’s mocking you.

Because he knows he’s better than you…

Alain Baxter tested positive, got served a ban, lost his medal. The length of ban was changed on appeal, but the appeal to get his medal back was unsuccessful though as he still had tested positive and strict liability applied. Process followed.

If the Spanish had followed procedures, Contador would’ve been banned, appealed and if he could have produced enough evidence to support his beef story could have had the ban shortened or overturned. The amount of Clenbuterol was tiny, but the fact that it was there returns a positive result and should see a ban.

TJ is bang on. Failed drug test = ban, which can then be appealed and if there are found to extenuating circumstances then the ban can be reduced. Allowing AC to race the Giro is plain wrong.