New Year, New Blog - Day 37

Day 37.


So much has happened today and the biggest thing has been in the cycling world. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)has found Alberto Contador guilty of doping during the 2010 Tour de France. He was tested positive for clenbuterol, a drug that helps you lose weight and and gain muscle, on the second rest day of the 2010 TdF. The ban means Contador will lose race results dating back to and including the 2010 Tour de France. Andy Schleck will become the 2010 Tour de France champion while Michele Scarponi is crowned winner of the 2011 Giro d'Italia. 
Contador’s positive test dates from July 21, 2010, although the case was not made public until September 30 of that year. In February 2011, the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) officially cleared Contador, accepting his explanation that the traces of clenbuterol in his sample had been caused by consuming contaminated meat.
In March, both the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anit-Doping Agency (WADA) formally announced their decision to appeal the matter to CAS, who in turn announced that a ruling would be made ahead of the Tour de France. That turned out to be a false dawn, however, and after a number of delays, the hearings were finally held in November 2011. In the intervening period, Contador had added to the Giro d’Italia to his palmares and finished fifth at the 2012 Tour de France.
Contador's ban ends on August 5th, meaning he can ride this year's Vuelta a España.

I don't think he did it intentionally. There was a case for him not knowingly eating the contaminated meat which wouldn't have resulted in a ban but I guess that didn't happen. The UCI are looking for a scapegoat, someone to blame and make an example of and they have picked a genuine champion, a winner of all the Grand Tours, and made him 'one of the bad guys'.
I read somewhere that the amount was 400 times less than what is needed to be detected to result in a ban, so why ban him?  There are lots of other factors and a 4000 page document that CAS had to review before making their poor decision.

I will have more to say on this as it keeps coming out in the news and if there will be an appeal, so keep reading future blogs.

The Superbowl was on last night and no I didn't stay up all night and watch it. I started watching it when I got home at 3.45ish and I'm still watching it. I have no idea of the downs and yards etc but some of the hits are awesome. It seems quite a tough game but not as tough as rugby. I would tell you who wins but I still don't know.

The snow was interesting at work today. What do ALL kids want to do in the snow? Thats right, throw snowballs. I think the senior management were a little bit surprised by this and expected ALL the kids to not want to be out in the snow and throwing it at each other. Puzzling isn't it?

Time to finish the Superbowl and play a little Call of Duty.

Until tomorrow.

Jim