Alberto Contador is back in the hot seat for different allegations relating doping. Now, sources say a urine sample taken from Contador unveiled high levels of plastic residues, which are usually found in cases involving a blood transfusion.

Contador’s urine sample was taken July 20th, towards the end of the 2010 Tour de France. That urine sample later tested positive for clenbuterol.

As of now, Contador is suspended by the international cycling federation due to the discovery of clenbuterol in his system. A lab in Cologne, Germany, was the founder of clenbuterol and plastic residue in Contador’s blood.

When a blood transfusion takes place, it can result in a traceable amount of plastic in the blood due to the blood sitting in a plastic bag. The amount of plasticizer in Contador’s blood was eight times the normal amount.

Contador is denying the allegations against him, but if he is found…

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A new kind of doping method has been circulating. Dubbed as “mechanized doping”, it was said to be that a hidden motor can be placed in the downtubes on pro bikes.

Davide Cassini, Italian TV commentator and former pro road cyclist shares that he has ridden a pro bike that weighed 10kg, rigged with an electric motor. The device was hidden in the frame at the crank.

Two weeks ago, Italian newspapers released a story that says some riders in the Giro have used bikes with electric motors to give them an advantage in the race. Later on, the riders changed to standard bikes to avoid getting caught.

The Gruber Assist motors which costs £1800 is a retrofit kit that won a Eurobike Award in 2007. Cassini claims that a pro team can afford to use the Gruber Assist item and somehow find a way to hide the battery pack on the…

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BMC Racing Team welcomes the return of Alessandro Ballan. Ballan was held off in joining any competition due to doping claims. However, the charges were unfounded. The La Gazzetta Dello Sport released a story of an investigation of the Lampre squad, both current and previous members, its team officials and coach Guido Nigrelli were ongoing for doping. Guiseppe Saronni, Maurizio Piovani and Fabrizio Bontempi were also under investigation.

In response to the investigation which was led by Antonino Condorelli, Ballan said, “I have received notification of a request to extend the preliminary investigation by six months. I have put everything in the hands of my lawyer.”

BMC issues a statement regarding the status of the inquiry, “The BMC Racing Team has concluded its internal investigation regarding rider Alessandro Ballan. The BMC Racing Team could not find indications that Alessandro Ballan was involved in any doping in connection with his former team,…

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With the surge on anti-doping in cycling, the International Cycling Union (UCI) started to look into irregular readings from the biological passport data. This intensive move was brought about several factors including the recent Floyd Landis case. Francesco De Bonis was first to be sanctioned a two year ban due to doping. De Bonis was also fined €13,000. The basis for the said doping charge was due to Italian’s blood profile. The irregular readings were testament to De Bonis’ guilt even if he has never tested positive in any anti-doping tests.

UCI issued a statement regarding the case, “The UCI emphasizes the historic importance of this first judgment under the scope of the biological passport programme, introduced by the UCI in 2008.”

A UCI spokeperson added that De Bonis was caught and judged based on the findings in his biological passport. UCI also cited that Spanish cyclist Antonio Colom Mas is…

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The sport of cycling is one of the most prestigious yet very challenging sports in the world and is often plagued by illegal endurance performances due to drug use. This has brought about the strict implementation of biological passport to contain cheating in the sporting event.

The biological passport scheme developed two and half years ago has the total support and confidence of the World Anti-Doping Agency. The passport monitors the blood of athletes and electronically records the composition of the blood and any other substances, prohibited or not, that could boost performance.

However, a group of scientists came out with a way to which biological passport could be avoided. The scientists concluded that through microdosing method, the biological passport could be eluded as well as EPO detection in an athlete’s blood stream. It further added that many dishonest athletes and doctors practicing the method are aware of microdosing. The revelations by…

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