Team Saxo Bank reviewing CAS ruling on Alberto Contador

Today Riis Cycling received the result of the final ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case concerning Alberto Contador.

During the 2010 Tour de France Alberto Contador, while riding for Astana, returned an adverse analytical finding for clenbuterol following the analysis of urine samples taken on July 21st, the second rest day of the Tour de France. In February 2011 The Spanish Cycling Federation cleared Alberto Contador in the case, but today CAS has partially upheld an appeal by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

CAS’s conclusion is that the most likely cause for the adverse analytical finding is ingestion of a contaminated food supplement.

CAS has handed Alberto Contador a two year ban. However, the period of ineligibility starts retroactively, meaning that the suspension of Alberto Contador will end on August 5th 2012.

“After what has been a very tough situation for our team, today we have finally received the result of the CAS hearing in the case regarding Alberto Contador. The result was obviously not, what we had hoped for, but for now our management team is still in the process of reviewing the ruling and the documentation so we can better understand the decision,” team owner Bjarne Riis said.

The team and Alberto Contador will hold a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday February 7th at 19.30 in Madrid.