Gusev back in action after CAS decision

Next week Vladimir Gusev will be a competitive cyclist again as he'll take part in the Russian national championship but it's still unknown which trade team he'll ride for. Since his appearances at the world championships and the Chrono des Nations in October, he awaited a decision of the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) concerning his conflict since September 1, 2008, with his previous team Astana that he joined from Discovery Channel at the end of 2007.

On Tuesday, June 15, CAS declared that Astana was wrong to fire him after an interpretation of blood values by Danish expert Rasmus Damsgaard. The judges have instructed the current team of Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong to pay the Russian his salary, as well as damages and legal costs, Gusev's agent Raimondo Scimone made public on Wednesday.

"I'm happy for Vladimir as a person first and as a rider," he said. "He had nothing to reproach to himself and he has suffered quite a bit but he has kept training and living the life of a bike rider."

"I have even more determination than before. Cycling is my life and my passion," said Gusev in a press release.