According to Steroid Sources, the Tour de France has been rocked yet again by steroids controversy as 2010 champion Alberto Contador failed an anti-doping test, subsequently blaming the presence of Clenbuterol on Spanish steak he had consumed. The cycling world’s premier event, the Tour de France has seen incidents involving athletes’ use of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances skyrocket in recent years, casting doubt on race winners including Contador and American cyclist Lance Armstrong.

October 4, 2010 -- According to a story filed by Steroid Sources, Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador has been given a provisional suspension after testing positive for steroids following his 2010 Tour de France win. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Contador tested positive for the presence of Clenbuterol, a banned substance, in his system. The drug is one of the more popular anabolic steroids because it not only burns fat and builds muscle, but also increases oxygen in the body. This combination makes Clenbuterol particularly attractive for athletes competing in endurance sports (such as cycling) that require extremely high levels of stamina. The accusations against Contador come at a bad time for the Tour de France and the sport of cycling in general, as ongoing allegations of performance enhancing drug use by former champion Lance Armstrong are being heard by a Grand Jury.

A three time winner of the Tour de France, including victories in 2009 and 2010, Alberto Contador risks being stripped of his title, pending the outcome of his appeal. Contador’s spokesman has pointed out that Clenbuterol is one of the legal steroids used by the farming industry in Spain as a supplement to encourage rapid growth among cattle. “This is a food contamination case,” the spokesman insisted, in a statement released soon after the suspension. At a press conference called to deny the allegations that he had been intentionally using anabolic steroids, Contador also questioned the test results, pointing out that he had passed multiple drug tests during the course of the Tour de France, suggesting that the trace amount of steroids detected during the post-race test were the result of steaks he had eaten. “I am confident justice will prevail,” Contador concluded.

However, despite the confident claims of the Contador camp, WADA officials aren’t buying the contaminated steak theory. In response to Contador’s claims, WADA and Tour de France officials expressed doubt, pointing out that there has been no proof that legal steroids used to bulk up cattle can be passed to humans if they eat the contaminated meat. They remain convinced that, in all likelihood, the cyclist has been intentionally using Clenbuterol in order to gain a performance advantage. Given the controversy plaguing the sport and the ongoing investigation of seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador faces an uphill battle in proving his innocence. And while Armstrong’s battle is in court with allegations of his use of steroids being a matter of witness testimonials, Contador faces a much tougher task of exonerating himself since he actually failed an anti-doping test.

About the Author: Lawrence Kreger of Advanced Health Consultants is an expert on the issue of anabolic steroids in sports. A frequent contributor to Steroid Sources (a leading online resource for steroid related information), Kreger has filed numerous features on cycling and the Tour de France in recent years, in addition to the recent Contador story. If you have any tips on breaking news, or would like to speak to Lawrence about performance enhancing drugs, supplements or legal steroids, he can be reached by telephone at 727-328-0859, e-mail at larri205@cs.com, or by writing to P.O. Box 530007, St. Petersburg, FL 33707.

Contact Information:
Business Name: Advanced Health Consultants
Business Contact Name: Lawrence Kreger
Business Email Address: larri205@cs.com
Business Telephone #: 727-328-0859
Business Address : P. O. Box 530007, St. Petersburg, FL 33707