Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is suspended for positive drug test

Spanish rider Alberto Contador has been provisionally suspended for returning an “adverse analytical finding� of clenbuterol from a urine sample taken during the Tour de France, the International Cycling Union said Thursday.

The cyclist, who won his third Tour de France this year, was tested during the second rest day of the race and the second B test had confirmed the presence of clenbuterol, a banned anabolic agent, the UCI said in a statement.

“The rider, who had already put an end to his cycling season before the result was known, was nevertheless formally and provisionally suspended as is prescribed by the World Anti-Doping Code,� the statement said.

The concentration in the A test was “400 time(s) less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect,� the UCI said in a statement.

“In view of this very small concentration and in consultation with WADA, the UCI immediately had the proper results management proceedings conducted including the analysis of B sample that confirmed the first result.�

The case would require “further scientific investigation� before any conclusion could be drawn and could take some time, the statement added.

Contador had blamed food contamination for the finding. “From the moment he was first informed by the UCI on Aug. 24, Alberto Contador indicated that a contamination of food was the only possible explanation for what happened,� his agent said in a statement carried by Spanish media.

Allen Lim, a former exercise physiologist who worked for Floyd Landis and who Landis has claimed assisted in his cheating, was called before a grand jury in Los Angeles that is hearing testimony about drug use in cycling. The proceedings are secret. Food and Drug Administration investigator Jeff Novitzky declined to comment about the session or about Contador. An attorney for Lim, who worked with Lance Armstrong during this year’s Tour, failed to return messages.

— Lance Pugmire

ETC.

Bowyer’s appeal is denied

An appeals committee upheld NASCAR’s penalty assessed to Clint Bowyer’s No. 33 Richard Childress Racing team after his winning car failed an inspection following the Sept. 19 Sprint Cup race in New Hampshire.

NASCAR docked Bowyer’s team 150 points and suspended his crew chief, Shane Wilson, and car chief, Chad Haney, for six races and placed Wilson and Haney on probation for the remainder of the year. Wilson also was fined $150,000.

Team owner Richard Childress said he would make his final appeal in front of NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer, John Middlebrook.

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said it is unlikely he will return to Europe on loan this season as he continues to recover from an Achilles’ tendon injury.

The NBA fined Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis $100,000 for making unauthorized public comments regarding the league’s collective bargaining negotiations. The Wizards owner told a business audience Wednesday that the NBA, which is working on a new labor deal, will soon have a hard salary cap similar to the model used by the NHL.

The United States made a major statement entering the medal round with an 83-75 victory over fellow powerhouse Australia at the women’s basketball world championship at Ostrava, Czech Republic.

All but one of the top 60 players on the Nationwide Tour will compete this week in the Soboba Classic at the Country Club of Soboba Springs in San Jacinto.