Contador demands strict anti-doping policies at Astana

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador waves to supporters from a balcony in his home town of Pinto, near Madrid.

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador waves to supporters from a balcony in his home town of Pinto, near Madrid. (Image credit: AFP)

Alberto Contador is coming down hard in his negotiations with Team Astana, insisting on strict anti-doping measures. He has allegedly called for a contract clause that would allow him to leave the team if there is even one positive doping test for anyone on the team.

According to the Spanish website, Nordecastilla.es, the Tour de France winner is re-negotiating his contract with the Kazakh team. He is most insistent on anti-doping procedures within the team, including an internal control programme. Contador is said to have requested a clause which would be precedent-setting by letting him out of the contract if there is a positive doping case on the team.

The site also claims that Contador has agreed to financial terms with the team, for a yearly salary of four million euro. That is said to be the same amount he was offered by Garmin, Quick Step and Caisse d'Epargne.

In addition, the Spaniard is said to be seeking written confirmation that Alexander Vinokourov will ride the Giro d'Italia and not the Tour de France.

Contador's attorneys are said to be negotiating directly with Nikolai Proskurin, of the Kazakh Cycling Federation.

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