Alberto Contador and His CAS Hearing

As discussed before, Alberto Contador is supposed to go before the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a hearing about his positive test of Clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France. However, this hearing has been postponed again! For the third time. The article below says it's because they need more time "to complete their evidence and arguments relating to some specific scientific issues", which in English translates to me "we don't have enough evidence yet, but want to bust him anyway".

Contador CAS hearing postponed until November

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-cas-hearing-postponed-until-november)

Alberto Contador's hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has been postponed again, until November. The exact hearing dates have not yet been set.

Both the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision of the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) to clear Contador of charges resulting from his positive doping control for Clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France.

The CAS said that it “has allowed a request for a second exchange of written submissions between the parties as well as for a new procedural calendar. Such request was formulated by WADA with the unanimous agreement of the three other parties.”

According to the CAS statement, issued Tuesday afternoon, "The second round of written submissions will allow the parties to complete their evidence and arguments relating to some specific scientific issues."

The RFEC issued its decision in February, and the UCI and WADA filed their appeals with the CAS in March. The CAS hearing was initially scheduled for early June but then postponed until August.

I just wish this nightmare for Contador was over. He had a rough Tour de France because all of the spectators were against him. He hasn't tested positive before or since that one time; I think it's okay to blame the meat he ate.

Good luck Alberto; my fingers are crossed for you!

Michael Rasmussen & The Lawsuit

Here's a name that I haven't said recently...Michael Rasmussen. One of my top contendors in previous years, but he's since stepped out of the limelight after being pulled out of the 2007 Tour de France and removed from his team...all because he lied about his where he was while training. So now, in order to make back the money he lost, he is suing his former team:

Rasmussen sues Rabobank for 5.6 million Euro

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rasmussen-sues-rabobank-for-5-6-million-euro)

Michael Rasmussen is suing Rabobank for 42 million Danish kroner, or about 5.6 million euro.  He is claiming damages stemming from his dismissal from the team after the Tour de France 2007.

Rasmussen was wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour when he was removed from the race and he was subsequently fired by the Dutch team.  He was later suspended for two years after it was found that he had lied about his whereabouts whilst training for the Tour.

In July 2008, a Dutch court ruled that while Rabobank had rightfully dismissed the Dane, it still owed him 715,000 euros.

“I won the first case,” Rasmussen told De Telegraaf.  “However, the judge made a miscalculation.”  That payment included his Tour de France bonus payment and two months of salary. 

“My contract ran through the end of the year.  Furthermore, I was missing out on 300,000 euros in signed criterium contracts plus sponsorships and contributions.  Just based on that, I should be reimbursed 1.1 million euros.

“Now, however, I can demonstrate the consequences of the decision.  If I had won the Tour I would have had a contract for several million for a few years.  We demand more than 5.6 million.  We are not looking too high.”

The hearing is expected to be held sometime this fall.

I shall keep you all updated.