What would a high plasticizer level mean?
If the New York Times is correct and if the elevated plasticizer levels are officially confirmed, Contador will find the fight to clear his name a more difficult one. WADA rules strictly ban blood transfusions in sport, while the use of other IV infusions such as those containing glucose solutions was prohibited several years ago. The latter is permissible only in medical emergencies. While the plasticizer test is yet to be fully validated, the New York Times quotes the chief of the WADA-accredited lab in Rome as saying that it could still form part of a sanctioning hearing. “Even without a validated test, it could be looked at in a case-by-case basis,” said Francesco Botré. “If someone has a very, very high level of plasticizers in the urine, it would be hard for that athlete to explain how that happened if not for doping. If the level is lower, it obviously would make it much harder, but it would still be possible to prove.” One element which may be crucial is that anti-doping offici
