Nielsen not sanctioned for Clenbuterol positive

The Danish Olympic committee has ruled that cyclist Philip Nielsen will not be sanctioned for his positive doping control last year for Clenbuterol. The Doping Board found that the substance came from contaminated food and that Nielsen was not negligent or at fault.

Nielsen, then riding for the Continental-ranked Team Concordia Forsikring – Himmerland, tested positive for Clenbuterol after the last stage of the Vuelta a Mexico. He consistently denied having used the illegal product.

“Philip Nielsen did not know then, in April 2010, that there was a risk from eating meat at the cyclists' hotel in Mexico. He did it in good faith and therefore it makes no sense now to suspend him for doping," said Torben Jessen, chairman of the Danmarks Idræts-Forbund Doping Board.

The ruling is similar to the one issued last week by the Dutch cycling federation for mountain biker Rudi van Houts, who tested positive for Clenbuterol after returning from a trip to Mexico. Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was also recently cleared of Clenbuterol doping charges by the Spanish federation.