Alberto Contador returned to Europe on 31 January 2012 with a second place overall, two mountain-top stage wins, and the King of the Mountains title in the recently completed Tour of San Luis stage race in Argentina.

However, all his success stories may not be pleasing with the fast-looming verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over his clenbuterol case that could see him face up to a two-year ban from the sport.

From Cyclingweekly.co.uk:

A verdict from CAS was expected during the week commencing January 30, but CAS issued a statement on Monday saying that the verdict will be delivered on February 6.

The final stage of San Luis was won by Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) in a sprint. It was the Belgian’s first victory since Ghent-Wevelgem last spring. The overall victory went to Boonen’s team-mate Levi Leipheimer.

Contador, meanwhile, is due to return to Madrid very early on Tuesday morning after travelling for almost two days on the trot, for a verdict for his positive test for clenbuterol that could see him stripped of his most recent Tour de France title, in 2010.

The Spaniard is still claiming that the minute traces of clenbuterol found in his body in July 2010 were due to a contaminated beef steak.

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Lance Armstrong, the cyclist who beat cancer and won the Tour de France seven straight times, has finally been relieved of all drug charges after a US attorney in Los Angeles decided not to pursue charges against him.

Throughout his unprecedented run, the career of Armstrong has been shadowed by doping allegations.

From Thescore.ie:

After all the time and effort that has gone into such cases, some are wondering whether the government should continue the pursuit of athletes who are suspected of cheating with performance-enhancing drugs.

“This is an example where prosecutors are out scouring the countryside to bring charges against a high-profile athlete,” said defense attorney Mark Werksman, a former federal prosecutor. “It’s disturbing that they contort and stretch to find a crime. It’s an abuse of federal power. It’s wrong.”

The 40-year-old cyclist was accused in 2010 by former teammate Floyd Landis of participating in a doping program.

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Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Michael Zacharia, who prescribed human growth hormones to combat ageing, has been fined by the NSW Medical Tribunal.

Zacharia was found guilty of professional misconduct by the NSW Medical Tribunal.

From Dailytelegraph.com.au:

But the 47-year-old medic – fined $15,000 for illegally prescribing steroids, growth hormones and testosterone — defended his controversial treatment and said he had become a scapegoat for a practice used by doctors worldwide.

“I have had this issue placed against me but really there are lots of other doctors who are performing exactly what I was doing – thousands of other doctors both here and over in America – and it is something that for some reason I have been singled out.”

The former president of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons was prosecuted in the Medical Tribunal after an investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission found his cure for wrinkles was “grossly improper” and inappropriate.”

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In connection with a mail fraud case, Axis Labs LLC was sentenced to one-year probation, fined $50,000, and ordered to forfeit $107,000.

The company was accused by federal prosecutors of distributing anabolic steroids masquerading as a weight-loss supplement.

From Naturalproductsinsider.com:

In September 2011, FDA said Axis was charged with one count of mail fraud in connection to the illegal distribution of a product called “Monster Caps,” which contained synthetic anabolic steroids. FDA said Axis Labs engaged in the business of manufacturing, labeling, shipping and selling Monster Caps to enable weight loss and increase muscle mass. The agency said the product falsely purported to be a dietary supplement and therefore could be distributed and dispensed without prior approval from FDA.

However, Monster Caps contained anabolic steroids, or similar synthetic compounds, according to FDA tests.  Because Axis Labs intended these products to affect the structure and function of the human body, they were considered drugs regulated by United States Code.

DCD LLC and R&D Holdings were also fined for selling adulterated supplements that contained anabolic steroids.

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According to a report by Bloomberg, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing epidural injections of steroids to treat neck and back pain.

This was after a warning by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) seven months ago that administering its Kenalog steroid around the spine could cause serious complications.

From Medcitynews.com:

Bristol-Myers in New York revised its label for Kenalog to say it is not recommended for injection into the epidural space near the spine because of “reports of serious medical events, including death,” associated with administering steroids that way, the article said. But the drugmaker and the FDA have not yet publicized the label change, Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg said Bristol-Myers’ steroid Kenalog and the Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) drug Depo-Medrol are the most commonly used steroids for epidural injections.

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The legislation recently intended to help curtail steroid use by student-athletes received final legislative approval by the full Assembly by a vote of 74-2 and will now go to the desk of the Governor.

All public school coaches and non-public interscholastic sports, dance, and cheerleading coaches will be required by the bill to incorporate a gender-specific program designed to reduce the use of steroids, alcohol and other drugs and to promote healthy nutrition and exercise into the team’s training regimen.

From NJtoday.net:

The bill (S-834/A-2454) would codify recommendations from the 2005 Governor’s Task Force on Steroid Use and Prevention, establishing measures to deter the use of steroids and other performance enhancing supplements in middle school and high school athletes.

“Many teenage athletes may view steroids as a quick way to get to the top of their game, without thinking about or even being aware of the consequences,” said Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex). “Improving how we educate them about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs will help keep them healthy now and years down the road.”

Under the bill, the state Department of Education (DOE) and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) would work jointly to develop and implement – by the 2010-2011 school year – a program of random steroid testing of student athletes who qualify to compete in championship tournaments sanctioned by the NJSIAA.

“Coaches as well as student athletes need to fully understand the dangers of steroid use and abuse,” said Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex). “The earlier we can impress this on our student athletes, the better their health – both mental and physical – will be as adults.”

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In India, the doping scandal involving school children is threatening to take shocking proportions with schools from Punjab and Maharashtra topping the list of offenders.

Eleven children – from boxing, wrestling, and weightlifting – tested positive for steroids and diuretics during the 57th National School Games, which concluded recently in New Delhi, according to National .

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

While the three wrestlers tested positive for diuretic furosemide (a substance used to mask the presence of prohibited substances in the body), the weightlifters’ samples contained the steroid stanozolol THC (found in marijuana). The boxers tested positive for a cocktail of banned drugs – stanozolol THC (marijuana), methylhexaneamine and nandrolone.

Those caught for doping in wrestling are from schools in Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, while in weightlifting the positive cases came from the students of Delhi and Punjab schools. In boxing, the positive samples were found in students from Maharashtra, Manipur and Punjab.

“This has become a very serious matter. That 14 per cent of the samples have returned positive is a matter of shame for the schools and officials. It is much higher than the national average of 4 per cent,” NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar told TOI.

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