Defiant Contador vows to return stronger

Alberto Contador has protested his innocence over the two-year doping ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and insisted he will return to cycling stronger than ever.

The Spaniard has also been stripped of one of his three Tour de France titles for failing a dope test in the 2010 race.

His lawyers are currently considering an appeal, which they must lodge within 30 days.

Contador said: “Everybody has been saying that I’m guilty of something that is against my own moral standpoint. My feeling of injustice is terrible.

“I have done everything possible to show that I am innocent.”

Contador’s ban has been applied retrospectively, which means he has already served the 18 months that have elapsed since the race in question. However it means he will miss the London Olympics.

The Spaniard’s Saxo Bank team have maintained during the lengthy legal protest that Contador’s positive test was due to him eating contaminated meat, a claim that was swiftly rejected by the World Anti-Doping Agency. At a press conference in his home town near Madrid, Contador added: “I will continue riding and training cleanly as I have always done.

“Even though my morale is very low now I will come back to be as good as I have ever been.

“It’s incredible, almost unbelievable, how much support I’ve had.

“I’ve had nightmare months when I couldn’t sleep, and months when I wanted to go home rather than ride a bike.

“I want to leave good memories for the fans and have memories of doing my job well.

“Every victory I’ve had hasn’t just been mine, it’s been for all the people. They will decide if I am a champion or not.”

Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish claimed his first win for Team Sky as a trademark sprint finish earned him victory in stage three of the Tour of Qatar.

Cavendish, who switched to the British-run team after winning the Tour de France’s green jersey and the World Championships last year, beat race leader Tom Boonen into second on the 146.5-kilometre stage from Dukhan to Al Gharafa Stadium.

The victory was even more impressive given Cavendish had been a doubt to start the tour after falling ill on the flight to Doha.