Henk van ‘t Klooster Alberto Contador, winner of the 2010 Tour de France, had to return his yellow jersey because clenbuterol was present in his urine. The amount found was 50 picograms per milliliter (1 pg = one millionth of a millionth of a gram). Clenbuterol was – and in certain parts of the world continues to be – used in the meat industry to promote the conversion of fat into muscle. Cyclists, swimmers, football players and other athletes use it for that purpose too, although it’s on the list of banned substances. Contador, however, has always denied using clenbuterol; his explanation is that he ate meat that contained the substance. So far, his defense has been in vain but the results of a recent study (1) might change his position.

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About the Author

Henk van 't Klooster

Dr. Henk Van 't Klooster is a former director of the Analytical Chemical Laboratories Division of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in The Netherlands. Earlier, he was an associate professor of analytical chemistry and research leader of chemometrics at Utrecht University. Since 2000 he has been a consultant and coach of executives and managers, and owner of the management consultancy firm Vithaka.