CAS delays Contador verdict

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expects to announce their verdict on three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador's doping case "during the week of January 31," the organisation said Monday. A verdict was initially set for mid-January, but CAS opted to delay the ruling, blaming the delay because of media allegations of bias against the three-man arbitration panel. "CAS asked the parties to clarify whether, at this stage in the procedure, any of them wanted to challenge the composition of the arbitration panel. As all answers were negative, the Panel will be able to resume its mission," read a statement issued by sport's highest court. "This regrettable incident has slightly delayed the work of the Panel and the publication of the final decision should now take place during the week of 31 January 2012." Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, but the Spaniard was cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) in February 2011, prompting the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Cycling Union (UCI) to appeal the decision to CAS. The 29-year-old Spaniard claimed he had ingested the banned substance by eating a contaminated steak, an explanation which satisfied the RFEC but which failed to pass muster with the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). If CAS upholds the appeal the Spaniard faces a competition ban and being stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title and the Giro d'Italia, which he won for a second time last year, and any other victories since July 2010.