The positivity of Mathias Fluckiger with Zeranolo is causing some discussion: Fluckiger has reported that it has been found so small that many labs would not even be able to trace it. This amount should not be a positive result because it could very well be the result of food poisoning and does not constitute an advantage for sports performance. This is the defense of the Swiss athlete. The fact is that the 2022 season, and the ambitions of a rainbow jersey, have vanished and perhaps also the serenity to aspire to important results in the near future if the situation should continue.
The limit of Zeranol for determining a positivity is 5 ng / mL and, according to various sources, only 0,3 ng / mL was found. The disqualification started on August 18, 2022 and, on September 7, 2022, Mathias Fluckiger had published a statement announcing his innocence and giving his version of the facts.
LENZERHEIDE: WAR BETWEEN THE SWISS
It's a sin to think badly but it seems that all this negative vein of Mathias Fluckiger started from Lenzerheide, where he certainly had a lot of dislikes in Switzerland and someone must have thrown a few Macumbas at him (here the full article). In this race, fifth round of the World Cup won by Luca Braidot, Mathias Fluckiger struggled throughout the race with Nino Schurter and, from the various statements, it seems that Mathias made an aggressive entry on Nino, causing him to fall in the last corners while he was leading. Normally these are episodes that can happen in the race, but here the situation was different: Schurter is the world idol of MTB, a "deity" in Switzerland, and Fluckiger dared to bring him down by openly declaring war on him.
All of this adds up to the fact that Schurter was just missing a win to be the most victorious athlete in history in the World Cup (record not yet reached) and the race was held in Switzerland: an episode that therefore “eliminated” them for the victory, to the advantage of our Luca Braidot and the South African Alan Hatherly.
CASO ALBERTO CONTADOR
Going back in time, on 30 September 2010 there was a doping investigation against Alberto Contador which ended on February 9, 2012. Alberto Contador he was the only defendant, a bit like Mathias Fluckiger at this time. Alberto Contador he had declared war on Lance Armstrong during 2009 (the epic duel, above all mental, with the American) and in 2010, when however Lance Armstrong was unable to repeat himself at high levels, closing that Tour in 23rd place. Contador was disqualified following a clenbuterol positivity found in a doping control on 21 July 2010, the rest day of the Tour de France (edition won by the Spanish athlete). The cyclist's entourage had declared that it was a case of "food contamination" and asked the UCI for a scientific investigation.
On 17 January the UCI asked for a two-year disqualification for Contador and ten days later the Spanish rider was permanently disqualified for one year. A month later, on February 15, the Spanish Cycling Federation acquits Contador declaring him innocent and allowing him to return to racing.
At that point UCI and WADA appealed to the Lausanne Sports Arbitration Tribunal and, after several postponements, on 6 February 2012 the TAS sentenced the Spanish cyclist to 2 years of disqualification with retroactive effect: from August 2010 to August 2012.
Although on the one hand Contador had been declared innocent, on the other he loses the 2010 Tour de France, the nine victories achieved in 2011, including two stage wins and the final classification of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, and two victories in the Tour de San Luis of 2012.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Two similar but not identical cases were those of Fluckiger and Contador: while the Spaniard was being defended by his own federation, Fluckiger seems not to be, but as always we will have to wait for the conclusion of the facts to really understand how things really are (if ever we will understand).
It is therefore difficult to judge the alleged innocence / guilt of Mathias Fluckiger but, if it is as Mathias says, there is something not fully clear. We hope there are no political reasons or favoritism in relation to other situations, given that the positivity has come from Swiss Sport Integrity: time does not go back and these situations affect the morale, and the palmares, of the athletes in question.
Too bad because the Schurter vs Fluckiger battle is missing a bit. Meanwhile, Mathias has closed in a press silence: he no longer publishes anything on social media and has removed the comments on his posts on Instagram. It is certainly not an easy time for him.
