Alberto Contador during his press conference as he tries to explain how his urine sample became contaminated with clenbuterol (Image credit: AFP)
Alberto Contador can't wait to don the yellow jersey for the final time this Tour.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador partakes in a celebratory sip of bubbly en route to Paris.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador has said that he should probably have told Bjarne Riis earlier of his positive doping control from the Tour de France. The Spaniard was informed of the news on August 24, but didn't inform the Team Saxo bank owner until hours before the news was made public earlier this week. He signed a contract shortly after the Tour to join the Danish team for two years.
Contador could understand Riis's surprise. “It must have come as a big shock to him. Perhaps I should have told him sooner, but I decided ultimately that it was best for all parties not to say anything,” Contador told the Danish newspaper BT and its website, sporten.dk.
As to their future relationship, the 27-year-old said, “I hope for the best and good cooperation. And I hope that he will trust me and show confidence in me so we can get over this.”
“I know that those suspicions do not make me very popular in Denmark, but I will do everything in my power to have good relations with the Danes,” he said.
Contador, “on the verge of tears”, according to the newspaper, added that “I feel very bad. I'm so sorry, and words can not describe what I have gone through the past six weeks. I have not had anyone to talk to about it and it has been extremely hard to keep it to myself.“
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