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10.08.2007/Tour de France winner Alberto Contador read a statement at a press conference on Friday claiming he has never used
performance-enhancing drugs in his career.
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| Alberto Contador in Paris... (picture: Heinz Zwicky) |
Reading a statement at the headquarters of the Superior Council for Spanish Sports in the company of Discovery Channel team
manager Johan Bruyneel and the Spanish minister for sports,Jaime Lissavetzky, Contador said: "I have never committed
an act of doping, and have never participated in an act of doping."
Contador continued by saying: "From my position as winner of the 2007 Tour de France, the most important race in
the world, that any cyclist would want to win, a race won with honesty and effort, I ask all of you to also make an effort
to continue believing in cycling and me."
The 24-year-old Spanish rider was told on Wednesday he won't be allowed to start at the Pro-Tour's Vattenfall Cyclassics
event in Hamburg on August 19 after organisers of the race said Contador had been named in connection with the Operation Puerto
blood-doping scandal.
German authorities and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) say they have received information from German doping expert
professor Werner Franke which, he claims, shows Contador had taken testosterone and asthma medication.
Contador insist that he won this years Tour de France clean: "I won the race cleanly and greatly enjoyed it. My objective
is to win more races and to help make cycling an attractive sport admired by everyone."
"My commitment against doping is absolute and I have always said I would work to collaborate in the cause. I put
myself at the disposition of all the competent authorities in the fight against doping to do whatever tests they want on me,
including a DNA test," he added.
Contador threatened to take legal action: "I don't know what more I can do to be considered a just winner of the
Tour, but if the attacks continue to be made against me, my family, my team, sponsors, or colleagues I will resort to legal
action without hesitation."
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