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Contador defiant over doping

Madrid - Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador vowed to fight any attempt to re-impose doping sanctions, in an interview published on Wednesday.

Contador tested positive for minute traces of the banned muscle-building substance clenbuterol during last July's Tour de France, which he won.

The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) last month rescinded proposals to hand down a one-year competition ban after accepting Contador's claim that he ate drug-contaminated meat and was therefore not negligent.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) can still appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have that judgement overturned.

When asked what he would do if WADA appealed and the CAS imposed a two-year ban, the 28-year-old rider was defiant.

"Now I want to fight and if I managed to stop them sanctioning me I should fight with even more determination to ensure that the higher authorities don't do so either," he said in an interview with the daily ABC.

Contador called again for a review of anti-doping procedures, which he has criticised for harming his reputation over the detection of a minute trace of clenbuterol he claims came from eating a contaminated steak.

Some laboratories were expected to detect these trace levels but not others, he said.

"I want WADA to review my case, study it and find new guidelines for the future," he said.

Contador said he was concentrated on his riding.

"I am not completely happy because I have suffered a lot, too much," he told the paper.

"This will always be remembered, it will always be there. The worst is over but they have done so much damage with so many lies, defamations and inventions," he said.

Contador rode in the Tour of the Algarve last month after being cleared by the RFEC to compete on the eve of the start. Bidding to win the race for the third successive year, he could only finish fourth overall after finishing 15th in the stage.

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