tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21096663.post4102276472702659520..comments2024-01-29T04:25:53.194-06:00Comments on The Adventure Blog: Contador Maintains Innocence, Says He'll Fight SuspensionAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942139766832303244noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21096663.post-11345059229140931532011-01-30T11:31:45.540-06:002011-01-30T11:31:45.540-06:00Exactly right. The rules must be enforced equally ...Exactly right. The rules must be enforced equally across the board, with no exceptions. <br /><br />Officials should work to clarify rules in the future so these odd conditions don't come up again in the future.kungfujedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00724706652959523509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21096663.post-89802074012656983622011-01-30T11:30:09.454-06:002011-01-30T11:30:09.454-06:00Outside magazine did a very good feature earlier t...Outside magazine did a very good feature earlier this year about the 'unfairness' of the drug testing system: http://outsideonline.com/culture/201001/zach-lund-wada-1.html<br /><br />I have to say, that although I can sympathise with Contador if he took the drug unintentionally, the rules are the rules. If others with good cause haven't been given exemptions, then neither should he. That doesn't mean I agree with the system, just that it should apply to all equally.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21096663.post-83417949712665768982011-01-29T08:50:00.885-06:002011-01-29T08:50:00.885-06:00Well said on all points. This is obviously a diffi...Well said on all points. This is obviously a difficult case to weigh in on, but as I said, I think zero tolerance is in order just because it's so hard to tell where the gray areas are.kungfujedihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00724706652959523509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21096663.post-2553990014534778612011-01-29T04:14:12.727-06:002011-01-29T04:14:12.727-06:00Ignorance alone is not a valid defence, although I...Ignorance alone is not a valid defence, although I guess it is acceptable as mitigation given how clenbuterol can occasionally turn up in the food chain due to unscrupulous farming practices.<br /><br />The problem with the one-year ban is it is neither here nor there. For me, it's not a stiff enough deterrent, but at the same time if Contador is innocent (personally, I don't believe he is, but that's just my opinion) then a year's ban is too long for a trace-positive test.<br /><br />Aside from this case, the authorities should set a lower threshold so that if a tiny, non-performance enhancing amount is found in someone's sample there is scope for a warning but not a ban. At least that way we avoid this murky grey area where we sometimes punish innocent athletes "just in case".<br /><br />http://thearmchairsportsfan.com/2011/01/29/contador-makes-aggressive-first-move-in-response-to-proposed-ban/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com