Alberto Contador Tests Positive for Clenbuterol, Latest Tour Title in Doubt

Alberto Contador tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol days before he sealed his third career Tour de France title back in July, a violation he said Thursday came as a result of contaminated meat.

"I'm sad and disappointed but I can hold my head high because with the truth in front of me I can talk loud and clear," Contador said at a news conference in Mardrid

The Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's governing body, said in a statement Thursday that Contador was provisionally suspended per rules set by the World Anti-Doping Agency. UCI said that lag in the announcement was due to the small amount of clenbuterol (50 picograms) found in the sample taken on July 21, the last rest day before the final four legs of the race.

"This case required further scientific investigation before any conclusion could be drawn," UCI said.

The positive, however, doesn't necessarily mean the Spaniard would get a two-year ban or have this year's title stripped.

"The UCI continues working with the scientific support of WADA to analyze all the elements that are relevant to the case," UCI said. "This further investigation may take some more time."

Under WADA rules, athletes are responsible for anything they put in their bodies and appeals have largely been unsuccessful for athletes who claim they ingested a banned substance via a supplement. But the fact that Contador is arguing food poisoning caused the positive result had his publicist, Jacinto Vidarte, expressed "confidence that (cycling officials) can clarify this very serious problem."

"The experts consulted so far have agreed also that this is a food contamination case, especially considering the number of tests passed by Alberto Contador during the Tour de France," Vidarte said in a statement.

Still, the news of Contador's positive was another reminder of cycling's doping scandals that have ensnared many of the sport's top riders. Landis, who claimed for years that he never doped, reversed course last spring and said that not only he used performance-enhancing drugs, but alleged Lance Armstrong did as well. The claims, which the seven-time Tour de France champ Armstrong has denied, led to a federal probe of Armstrong and his business dealings.

Clenbuterol has long been listed as a banned stimulant by anti-doping authorities. While not approved for use in the U.S., the drug is commonly used to treat asthma and can act as a stimulant and weight-loss aid in high doses.

Clen, as it's commonly known, has also been shown to aid in muscle development in animals, but there has been no conclusive studies to show that it does the same in humans.

U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy is probably the most prominent athlete to test positive for clenbuterol in recent years. She was flagged for the substance days before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a result she said was due to use of a supplement.

She appealed the result and the American Arbitration Association ruled the positive was the result of unknowingly ingesting the clenbuterol and cut her two-year ban in half. The supplement manufacturer, AdvoCare, denied its product caused her to test positive.