Contador Guilty of Doping During Tour de France Win

Alberto Contador to be banned from racing for 2 years: appeals court
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 6, 2012 7:46 AM CST
Contador Guilty of Doping During Tour de France Win
In this June 30, 2011 file photo, Alberto Contador of Spain trains near Les Herbiers, western France.   (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)

Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been found guilty of doping during his 2010 victory, prompting a two-year ban on racing. The Spanish cyclist will also likely lose his title from that year—in addition, perhaps, to seeing all his racing wins in 2011 annulled. Contador tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol during the Tour in 2010; he blamed it on a tainted steak he had eaten.

The Spanish cycling federation had initially sought a one-year racing ban for Contador, shorter than the standard two years; soon after, in February of last year, the organization cleared his name. The new ruling comes from the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. It's the latest blow to cycling's international image: Now, just two Tour de France winners since 1995 haven't been tied to doping scandals, the New York Times notes. The new winner of the 2010 Tour de France would be Luxembourg's Andy Schleck. (More Alberto Contador stories.)

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