Spanish federation to appeal to CAS and to Swiss justice

By Antonio J. Salmerón

The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) will take up its legal actions against the International Cycling Union (UCI) with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Swiss courts. The RFEC is insisting that 27 year-old Spaniard, Alejandro Valverde, be allowed to take part in the World Championships in Stuttgart, September 30. This decision was announced in a press conference after the conclusion of a meeting yesterday morning in Granada of national federations and the Grand Tour organizers.

RFEC President Fulgencio Sánchez said that "the Federation is going to take the Valverde's affair to its end. So, we are going to take immediate legal actions in the courts of Switzerland, as well as in the Court of Sport Arbitration."

Sánchez indicated the legal actions against the UCI were going to be "immediate," although he said that he has not yet filed the cases. Sources consulted by Cyclingnews advised that the actions could come early in the week, taking into account that Valverde's manager, Sánchez Sabater, will travel by plane to Brussels this week.

The matter is in the hands of the RFEC and not Spain's Superior Council of Sports (CSD), "Since the CSD does not have power to make the request," RFEC Secretary Eugenio Bermúdez explained. "We continue counting on the unconditional support of the Spanish Government."

The RFEC noted that there is enough time, but that the subject has to be resolved soon as the Worlds take place at the end of this month.