Sports Eye
Cycling blues
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
I WAS stunned to know that my new cycling idol Alberto Velasco Contador of Spain was tested positive for a banned drug after winning this year’s Tour de France and has been formally and provisionally suspended by the world cycling governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). It’s now the talk of the town in the cycling world, including here in Pangasinan, considered as the cycling capital of the Philippines for churning out several Tour champions.
If found guilty, Contador’s TdF title this year will surely be stripped off him, like what happened to American rider Floyd Landis in 2006. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it found the banned substance clenbuterol, a muscle-building and fat burning drug, in his urine sample on July 21 at the Tour. Of course, I’m anticipating that he will contest the findings because it would be a crushing blow to his image, being not only a three-time TdF champ (2007, 2009, 2010) but also champ for the 2008 Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) and 2008 Giro d’ Italia (Tour of Italy). He is the fifth rider in the world to win these three major titles called Grand Tours after Jacques Anquetil, Felici Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, and Eddy Merckx.
Clenbuterol is not a steroid but it does have anabolic properties that build muscle while burning fat. It is commonly given to horses to treat breathing problems. Doctors say it is also used to treat asthma and works in similar ways as other stimulant drugs such as amphetamine or ephedrine that can increase the heart rate and body temperature. Anabolic substances are prohibited by WADA to be used by athletes at all times, in and out of competitions.
Contador claimed that it was food contamination from a piece of filet mignon (steak) he ate given by a friend during this year’s race.
It could be an alibi but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
Abangan natin ang susunod na kabanata.
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The bikefest organized by the Guam Cycling Federation which was supposed to be held last September 26 has been postponed to October 3. According to my Guam-based son Jazy, the event, with its new name “GCF Gayinero Loop Race”, will start and finish at Yigo town with a distance of 32 miles for the open and 18 miles for the novice.
But a similar race was held in Saipan last Sunday, and luckily my only cycling child Jazy won the contest. The 67-kilometer road event called “Bike For Life Road Race” was participated in by 80 contestants from Japan, South Korea, Australia, United States, Philippines and host Saipan. He said around 40 Filipinos who are based there dominated.
I’ve been there eight times during my stint in Guam. Once, in 1987, I brought my basketball team from Guam composed of players from the defunct Converse team that already migrated to Guam like Menardo Jubinal and Loidi Saitanan from Cavite, Rolly Buhay from Bolinao who played also for Anejo Team during Robert Jaworki’s era, Nestor Solamillos from Laoac, Armando Diaz from Bayambang, Pete Cruz from Malasiqui and the Advincula brothers from Laguna. We battled against the squad of former Tanduay standout Joy Cleofas and won by a mere point, 82-81. My other stint there was part of my job as a sales representative for a company named Sunny Wholesale. Saipan, a tiny U.S. commonwealth island, is just a 27-minute flight north of Guam and with and an approximate population of 70,000 people.
