What a difference two weeks make. On November 29, Chris Froome appeared on an eight-second video clip during the Giro d'Italia presentation in Milan to confirm that he would participate in next year's edition of the race in an attempt to become only the third man in history to hold all three Grand Tour titles at the same time.
Thanks to the reporting of Le Monde and The Guardian, it emerged on Wednesday morning that Froome's Grand Tour challenge may not survive long in the record books as the winner of the 2017 Vuelta a España. An adverse analytical finding for salbutamol in the final week of the race – a result confirmed by analysis of the B sample – means that Froome is facing a potential doping ban if he cannot provide a sufficient explanation.
Froome's sample from stage 18 of the Vuelta to Santo Toribio de Liébana contained twice the permissible limit of salbutamol. In recent years, riders have served suspensions for returning samples containing lower levels of the substance, and it seems difficult to imagine that Froome can escape a sanction even if he manages to argue that the adverse analytical finding was the result of negligence rather than a deliberate attempt to enhance performance.
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As Froome's career and his legacy as a four-time Tour de France winner hang in the balance, Cyclingnews takes a look at some of the questions surrounding the case.
What is salbutamol and why is it prohibited?
Salbutamol is a Beta 2 agonist that is commonly used to treat asthma by relaxing the muscles of the airways into the lungs, making it easier to breathe. Salbutamol is typically delivered via an inhaler – it is commonly marketed as Ventolin – or nebuliser, but is also available as a pill and as an intravenous solution.
- Chris Froome returns adverse analytical finding for salbutamol
- Will Chris Froome's salbutamol result sink Team Sky?
- Vuelta a Espana organisers call for 'extreme caution' after Froome salbutamol result
- Nibali: Chris Froome salbutamol case is terrible for the sport
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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