Court of Arbitration for Sport slaps 2-yr ban on ace cyclist for doping; strip Spaniard of his 2010 Tour de France title
Court of Arbitration for Sport slaps 2-yr ban on ace cyclist for doping; strip Spaniard of his 2010 Tour de France titleu00a0
Alberto Contador was yesterday banned for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory following his positive test for clenbuterol.
Disgraced: Spaniard Alberto Contador in action during the 2010 Tour
de France in Pau, France. Pic/Getty ImagesIt was initially announced the Spaniard had failed a doping Test in September 2010, shortly after he had won his third Tour -- he was also victorious in the sport's biggest race in 2007 and 2009.
The 29-year-old always maintained his innocence, claiming he failed the test after eating contaminated meat, and rejected an offer from the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) to serve a 12-month ban.
In February 2011, the RFEC then decided to withdraw any sanction against Contador, a decision which was subsequently appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
CAS yesterday partially upheld that appeal, ruling Contador must serve a two-year period of ineligibility starting retroactively on January 25, 2011, minus the period of the provisional suspension served in 2010-2011 (five months and 19 days).
Contador's suspension should therefore come to an end on August 5, 2012.
Results wiped out
All results obtained during that time will be wiped from the record books, meaning that in addition to Contador losing the 2010 Tour crown, his achievement in winning the 2011 Giro d'Italia will no longer be recognised.
The 2010 Tour title will now go to Andy Schleck of Luxembourg with Russian Denis Menchov finishing second and Spaniard Samuel Sanchez up to third.
Michele Scarponi is the new winner of the 2011 Giro. Contador will now miss the 2012 Tour and the London Olympics.
