CYCLIST ALBERTO CONTADOR has blamed contaminated meat for his failed drugs test and has promised to clear his name.

The three time Tour de France winner and current title holder blamed a bad filet mignon at a press conference in Madrid on Thursday morning after he was provisionally suspended from the sport.

It follows a positive test for the steriod clenbuterol during a rest day on the Tour in July. He said at the press conference:

I think this is going to be resolved in a clear way. With the truth behind you, you can speak loud and clear, and I am confident justice will prevail.

According to the Associated Press, Contador said the beef was brought across the border from Spain to France by a Spanish cycling organizer, Jose Luis Lopez Cerron, during a Tour rest day and at the request of the team’s chef.

Contador said he and four other Astana teammates ate the beef on 20 July, with he being the only one who underwent a drugs test on 21 July. He said he ate more of the meat that day as it was too good to waste, even though it is not normal to eat steak around the time of a race.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) are continuing to investigate the case in conjunction with the World Anti Doping Angency (WADA). UCI chief Pat McQuaid has refused to comment on the story.

In another dark day for the sport, two other Spanish cyclists failed drugs tests on Thursday. Ezequiel Mosquera and his Xacobeo team-mate David Garcia Da Pena both tested positive for banned substance hydroxyethyl starch during the Tour of Spain.

However, Mosquera pleased his innocence and insisted his conscience was clear just as Contador had done earlier in the day.

This has underlined a level of ambiguity surrounding drug testing in cycling with yesterday’s positive test results dividing the anti-doping campaigners, according to The Guardian.