A Mixed day in the Saddle

They say that a leopard can never change their spots.

Tellingly, the Alberto Contador saga of 2012 which saw a two year suspension and stripping of his Grand Tour titles won in 2010 after being found guilty for doping during the 2010 Tour de France.

To be honest dear blog readers, the decision was shocking from my perspective as it was seen from this angle that he would not be found guilty. Alas I was incorrect in that judgement, so too was I about the backlash of the matter.

Cycling has to some extent always tried to weaken doping, and thus, when a rider fails a test they are lambasted as a shame to the sport.

Unfortunately the incident of Alberto Contador is taken the same way.

Why not let this be seen as a positive? The exorbitantly long case that has hung around 

the cycling realm like a dirty elephant in the room has vanished, and what’s more is that decidedly wise action was taken against someone who had doped during the largest race of them all.

While Contador claims that he accidently ingested it from a piece of steak, the minimal amount of the drug, Clenbuterol has been the subject of choice words by greats such as Eddy Merckx and tennis player Rafael Nadal who tweeted his support for the embattled cyclist this morning.

I feel that while a reasonable punishment for doping had been given out, I ponder the effectiveness of the backdated two year suspension which means that Contador will, technically speaking, be out of racing til August this year.

I mean, does this deter him, or even others? Does it actually illustrate the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s approach to eliminate doping and make cycling a clean (if not, cleaner) sport?

I think that the  backdated suspension widens the issues out to how to punish those who are found guilty of doping, and perhaps this might be the apt time for cyclists, fans and those all involved in the sport to have a constructive discussion on the matter, instead of retreating to age old phrase “it’s a sad day for cycling”.