Contador banned, Contador freed, Spain flip-flops.

///Contador banned, Contador freed, Spain flip-flops.

Contador banned, Contador freed, Spain flip-flops.

The Contador clenbuterol conundrum continues…

The rumor-fabrication-faux news machine known as the Spanish cycling press now states categorically that Alberto will not be sanctioned after all. He may even be free to race this week at the Tour of Algarve.

Twisted Spoke wonders what goes on at the Spanish Federation. Less than twenty days ago, they issued a pre-judgement that Contador would receive a one year ban. Now the buzz is backward and El Pais claims they will rule Tuesday that Alberto is as free as one of his parakeets.

That’s quite a judicial flip-flop in less than three weeks. Given all the evidence has been on the table for what — three to five months — we’re amazed that suddenly a last minute piece of new information has changed the verdict. A meat-gate miracle has occurred and saint Rosalinda, the guardian angel of those embroiled in doping allegations, has come to the rescue.

We’re reminded of the classic 70’s comedy record by the improv group, the Firesign Theater. One of their best efforts was entitled Everything You Know Is Wrong. Only we’re in Spain and we’re not laughing.

Firesign Theater. An explanation?

We admit to bafflement. Not that the Tour de France champion is guilty or not guilty, but at how these weighty decisions, the most important in professional cycling, seem to be handled. It’s like they’re using a ouija board or tarot cards or it’s just four judges blindly throwing darts at a wall. Makes us think of Chinese oracle bones — determining the future by reading turtle shells.

We will say up front we aren’t positive (pun intended) that Contador is guilty. We put our faith in the WADA scientists and we also find the plasticizer test results cast plenty of shadows of doubt on his innocence. (Obviously that test has no legal power behind it as yet.) We simply lean toward the belief that the likelihood for is greater than against.

Twenty days to completely reverse the biggest decision in the sport just strikes us as incredibly suspect on its own. You can disagree with a judgement and still respect the legal process, the expertise of those making the call and the seriousness with which they approach the case. Those things seem debatable at this point.

We’re all dying to know what those four judges in Madrid have decided about Alberto Contador. We’ll find out Tuesday but it already feels very wrong.

By |2019-02-03T16:21:27-08:00February 14th, 2011|Alberto Contador|7 Comments

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7 Comments

  1. Jorge February 14, 2011 at 12:28 pm - Reply

    Perhaps, I should not order the "Let Contador ride" bumper sticker yet.

    • TwistedSpoke February 14, 2011 at 9:03 pm - Reply

      No, hold on that. In fact, I'd order the "hurry up, CAS" one. Matt

  2. Ron Callahan February 14, 2011 at 6:09 pm - Reply

    Given what happened to Fumiyuki Beppu and others that were found with clenbuterol, there's no way that this is not going to CAS. I'm sure that the UCI has their paperwork ready and their fax machine warmed up and ready to go.

    • TwistedSpoke February 14, 2011 at 9:04 pm - Reply

      ROn, the UCI is never ready for anything. Never proactive, never prepared, never game planned. It's one long cocktail party for McQuaid. Matt

  3. Pal February 14, 2011 at 7:22 pm - Reply

    This is very sad. Contador admitted his own struggles during the Tour. The rules on contamination are clear. The evidence is damning. There is no evidence of contaminated beef in all their research into Spanish beef. Yet because El Presidente and the Contador camp declare him innocent they cave completely. I hope the UCI take them to CAS and they give him 2 years. Otherwise let's just throw in the towel and let them ALL dope! This is just ridiculous.

    • TwistedSpoke February 14, 2011 at 9:06 pm - Reply

      Pal, on one hand I kinda like Alberto, a sweet young boy from Pinto, on the other hand, I think he knows the game. The plasticizer test kicked me off the fence, approved or not. I only hope the timetable is faster than Valverde. Matt

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