Contador Decision Not Likely Until January

A decision in the doping case against Alberto Contador will not likely be released until January at the earliest, according to a report today by the AP via VeloNews. An official from the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) said that the complexity of the case means that the arbiters will require six to eight weeks to release their ruling in the case.

The Arbitration Court in Lausanne will begin a four-day hearing on the case next week. Contador will attend the hearing, and reportedly a number of his former team-mates will appear to offer evidence. Contador, who recently married, has just returned from his honeymoon.

As you all know by now, Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France. The low level of the substance found in his samples and the presence of Clenbuterol in the food supply in varying amounts have complicated the case. After the Spanish Federation ruled in Contador's favor, the UCI and the World Ant-Doping Agency (WADA) filed an appeal with CAS. The arbitration hearings have been delayed twice at the request of lawyers on both sides of the case.

In its appeal, the UCI asked that Contador receive a two-year suspension and lose his victory in the Tour de France. The arbitration court has wide leeway in deciding the case and in determining what, if any, sanction Contador should receive.