| Familiar face returns as Orioles weigh Camden Yards upgrades You might find it hard to believe, but Oriole Park at Camden Yards is already more than 18 years old. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Pole-sitter Helio Castroneves takes checkered flag at Indy Japan 300 Pole-sitter Helio Castroneves won the Indy Japan 300 on Sunday to ensure the IndyCar series championship will come down to the final race of ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Contador denies blood transfusion claim • L'Equipe alleges plastic residues found in Spaniard's urine• Rider claims positive drug test came from eating beefAlberto Contador, who won this year's Tour de France, has denied his positive test for a banned drug stemmed from blood doping rather than eating contaminated steak.The French sports daily L'Equipe reported today that a German laboratory had found a tiny amount of the drug Clenbuterol in Contador's urine sample and had allegedly found plastic residues of the kind that might turn up after a transfusion of blood from a plastic bag. The German television station ARD also reported that plastic traces were detected.Contador's spokesman, Jacinto Vidarte, said the Spanish rider "categorically denies having a blood transfusion. There is nothing to that." He added: "It is a science fiction story."Vidarte said no one at the International Cycling Federation (UCI), which announced Contador's positive test on Thursday and his temporary suspension, has told Contador that plastic residues were found in his urine.Vidarte claimed the World Anti-Doping Agency has not validated a method for detecting plastic from blood transfusion bags. However, Wada's director general, David Howman, said a method was "fully validated and has been used in the food industry for years". He added: "Its use for anti-doping purposes is partially validated and evidence from it, among others, can be used before tribunals."Douwe de Boer, a Dutch anti-doping expert hired by Contador to analyse his positive test result, has seen the report compiled by the laboratory in Cologne and saw no mention of plastic residues being in Contador's urine, Vidarte said.Contador has denied using Clenbuterol and said the trace elements found in his urine came from beef he ate during this year's Tour – once on 20 July and again on a rest day, 21 July, the day the drug was found in his urine.If Contador is found guilty of doping, he faces being stripped of his Tour de France title and a possible two-year ban. L'Equipe said the presence of residues may explain the long time that the UCI and Wada took to analyse Contador's samples.The UCI's president, Pat McQuaid, refused to comment on the specifics of the case. "It's an independent process," he said in Australia, where he is attending the world road racing championships. "The UCI are working closely with Wada and we wait until we get to the process." Alberto ContadorTour de FranceCyclingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Westwood reinjures right ankle, will play on By GRAHAM OTWAY 2010-10-07T17:24:49ZST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) -- Lee Westwood hurt his right ankle again but decided to play on Thursday at the Dunhill Links Championship with the world No. 1 ranking in sight.... hosted.ap.org |
Yankees' Joe Girardi deserves props for extending ALCS Pride goeth before the Texas champagne party. The New York Yankees roused their resilience and their bats Wednesday, and while nobody knows if ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |