Following the UCI’s announcement this morning that it intends to appeal the RFEC’s clearing of Alberto Contador, the World Anti Doping Agency WADA has confirmed that it will make a decision within the next three weeks.
“Regarding the Contador case, WADA is currently reviewing the file,” it stated to VeloNation today. “Under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code, once the UCI has reached a decision, WADA has another 21 days to determine whether or not to use its independent right of appeal to the CAS.”
It said that it wouldn’t comment further on the issue, “in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing proceedings, and following its policy in relation to pending cases.”
Meanwhile Contador’s Saxo Bank SunGard team has pledged its support for the rider, who is currently leading the Volta a Catalunya.
“The rules say that the parties of a case have the opportunity to appeal any decision to CAS. UCI has decided to do so in the case concerning Alberto Contador, and naturally we respect this. Now my hope is that we can have a final ruling as quickly as possible,” team owner Bjarne Riis said.
He argued that as things stand, Contador should be given the benefit of the doubt, and that the team had to be patiend. “I would like to remind everybody, that this is still Alberto Contador's case. As a team we can't do much but to wait for CAS to reach a decision. But I would also like to remind everybody, that Alberto Contador was acquitted in the first place and therefore is innocent of any deliberate wrongdoing until a ruling says something else. And as long as this is a case of accidental intake of a forbidden substance, we will continue to support Alberto Contador. In our opinion it would be unfair to do anything else," adds Riis.
The team added that it opposes all kinds of cheating, but that it is important to determine if deliberate rule breaking has indeed taken place. “It is of great importance that we don't equate conscious cheating and an accidental intake of a banned substance,” it said.
Contador competed with the Astana team last season, and joined Saxo Bank SunGard afterwards. He has ridden three races for Riis; he placed fourth in the Volta ao Algarve, he won two stages plus the overall in the Vuelta a Murcia, and he took yesterday’s mountain stage to Vallnord in Andorra in the Volta a Catalunya.
He started this morning’s stage 23 seconds clear of Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD).