Contador says he has never used drugs

By Mark Elkington

MADRID (Reuters) - Tour de France winner Alberto Contador proclaimed himself a clean rider and asked for doubters to believe in him and his sport in a statement read to the media on Friday.

"I have never committed an act of doping, and have never participated in an act of doping," he said at the offices of Spain's government-run Sports Council (CSD) in Madrid.

"From my position as winner of the 2007 Tour de France, the most important race in the world, that any cyclist would want to win, a race won with honesty and effort, I ask all of you to also make an effort to continue believing in cycling and me."

The 24-year-old Spaniard was escorted into a conference room, crowded with journalists and camera crews, by Spain's Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetzky, his Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel, and members of his family.

Contador said he felt compelled to make the statement because of attacks made on him by people who did not know him, questioning his honesty as a sportsman.

Last year, Contador was implicated in the Spanish anti-doping investigation Operation Puerto, but was cleared by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

However, the suspicions have continued to dog Contador after he won a Tour de France marred by a number of doping scandals last month.

"I won the race cleanly and greatly enjoyed it. My objective is to win more races and to help make cycling an attractive sport admired by everyone," he said.

"My commitment against doping is absolute and I have always said I would work to collaborate in the cause. I put myself at the disposition of all the competent authorities in the fight against doping to do whatever tests they want on me, including a DNA test.

"I don't know what more I can do to be considered a just winner of the Tour, but if the attacks continue to be made against me, my family, my team, sponsors, or colleagues I will resort to legal action without hesitation."

On Wednesday, organizers of the Hamburg Cyclassics event to be held on August 19 said Contador would not be welcome because of his links with Operation Puerto.