WADA dismisses Contador's clenbuterol claims

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has dismissed Alberto Contador's claim that his clenbuterol positive during the Tour de France was a result of eating tainted meat.

David Howman, director general of WADA, gave a press conference on Wednesday during which he said that tainted meat had been used as an excuse for clenbuterol positives in the past.

"It's been raised before, it's been heard in a couple of cases and rejected," said Howman.

"The issue is, can you prove it? It's a pretty hard thing to prove that is where it comes from."

Howman went on to say that WADA was monitoring the progression of the Contador case, and would step in if it perceived that the case was stalling. In that instance, WADA would take the case straight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to organise a hearing.

WADA was set up in 1999 as an independent international body to "promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against doping in sport in all its forms". It is WADA that produces a list of prohibited substances and procedures that is used as a basis for anti-doping tests.

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External links

WADA official website