UCI's decision on Contador appeal to be made soon

The International Cycling Union (UCI) will decide by March 24 on whether it will appeal the decision of the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) to acquit Alberto Contador on charges of an anti-doping rule violation.

The UCI's president Pat McQuaid told the AFP today that they received the complete dossier on February 24, and have one month to submit an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The organisation will begin reviewing the documentation this week.

Contador was able to convince the RFEC's disciplinary commission that he did not knowingly take the banned stimulant Clenbuterol, for which he tested positive on the 2010 Tour de France's second rest day. The Spanish rider argued that contaminated meat was responsible for his positive test.

He was cleared of the doping charges and freed to race by the RFEC on February 15, and is currently leading the Vuelta Murica after winning stage 2.

In a recent case, the UCI appealed to CAS the Belgian Cycling Federation's 2009 decision to acquit Iljo Keisse of doping. The Belgian was handed a two-year suspension by CAS, but he is currently allowed to race only in his home country after an appeals court suspended the court's decision.

Keisse also argued that contamination was responsible for his doping positive, blaming a tainted supplement. He is currently participating in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen while awaiting a discussion of the validity of the CAS decision by a Belgian court in April.