The New York Times and The Associated Press are reporting that a blood sample taken from Alberto Contador at the Tour de France has been found to contain traces of a plastic chemical that could indicate he had taken a blood infusion.

The latest test found traces of a plasticizer chemical that is found in plastic IV bags. The test can not be used to directly indicate doping, but can be used as one piece of evidence to establish a non-analytical doping charge.

Apparently, IV transfusions of ANY type are expressly prohibited by the UCI except for in medial emergencies. So he cant use the ‘I was dehydrated” excuse.

Contador has denied ever doping and blames contaminated meat for the positive result (this is another reason why cooking in plastic is never a great idea)

Whatever detractors may say about Contador, he is one of the worlds best.  So here are a couple of thoughts for the Conspiracy theorists in you:

How easy is it to contaminate meat with Clenbuterol? And if you could, how would it move from the intestinal tract to his blood? Is it possible that an ‘enemy’ doped him on purpose?

Also, he has a brain condition that required surgery and takes medication for epilepsy,  could the minute traces of Clenbuterol and ‘plasticizer’ come from there?

He won in July, why has it taken 2 months for these blood results to be released?  The runner up in the Tour of Spain,  Ezequiel Mosquera, who was found to be doping, had his results in less than two weeks.  Granted that was urine sample for HES and Contador’s is a blood sample, so, if the timing is normal and only now the TdF winners results are being released how many more positive results will come out of the tour this year?

Its never straight forward black and white is it?