体坛英语新闻：Contador stresses innocence over dope test

Contador explained how the food in question was some meat that Lopez Cerron, (the director of the cycling Tour of Castilla and Leon) had taken to France.

"He was coming to the Tour and asked if he could bring us something and the team cook, asked him to bring some really good meat. Lopez Cerron bought it in a shop in Spain, although I don't know exactly where, and on the afternoon of July 20 the meat was cooked in the team bus. We ate the meat and on the following day, the rest day, I had a blood test. Then we ate more of the meat and hours later I had a urine test; that is the day they detected the substance," he explained.

Contador also questioned the testing system and added that the minute levels that had been found in his urine were not enough to improve performance, before showing his annoyance at having to explain himself.

"I am sad and disappointed, but I can keep my head high, because you can speak loud and clear when you say the truth. I am not worried that my results will be doubted. I can defend myself pointing to all of the controls I have passed through."

"I am confident the UCI can clearly see what happened, but I would not tolerate a sanction," he said.

The 27-year-old began his professional career in 2004 in the ONCE- Eroski cycling team which had become known as Liberty Seguros - Wurth cycling team by the time it was kicked out of 2006 Tour de France as a result of the Operation Puerto doping scandal.

Contador was cleared by Spanish courts of having formed part of the widespread doping operation, but Liberty Seguros rider, Isidro Nozal, who was also cleared by the police, subsequently tested positive for use of the blood boosting product, EPO.