Tinkoff-Saxo rider Roman Kreuziger has been cleared by the Czech Olympic Committee of doping charges and is free to return to racing. In a case that revolves around its biological passport programme, however, the UCI is likely to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Kreuziger has insisted that the anomaly in one of the results on his biological passport dating back to 2012, when he was with Astana, was the result of extreme dehydration following a mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia.
The judicial arm of the 28-year-old’s national Olympic committee has accepted that explanation, saying that he “is not in violation of anti-doping regulations.”
In a statement the UCI said that it would consider lodging an appeal with the Court of Arbitartion for Sport (CAS). It has one month to do so, and the CEO of Tinkoff-Saxo, Stefano Feltrin, said on the team's website that he hoped the matter could be resolved speedily.
He said: “It is now of great importance that UCI make its next decisions and take any eventual actions on this matter swiftly.
“It is of paramount importance – in the interest of all involved parties in particular and cycling in general – that the whole procedure be brought to a final and definitive conclusion in the shortest time possible.
“Tinkoff-Saxo congratulates Roman and his defence team on this well-deserved result,” he added.
The Czech rider was omitted from Tinkoff-Saxo’s Tour de France line-up shortly before the race began as it emerged he faced questions over his biological passport.
He was named in the team for last month’s Tour de Pologne, but the UCI immediately issued a provisional suspension and asked the Czech authorities to begin disciplinary proceedings.
Both Kreuziger and his team insisted he was being treated unfairly and unsuccessfully appealed to the CAS to have the provisional suspension, which they claimed was against UCI rules, overturned so he could compete in the Vuelta, won by team mate Alberto Contador.
6 thoughts on “Roman Kreuziger cleared on biological passport charges”
Irrespective of the merits of
Irrespective of the merits of Kreuziger’s case, this system of letting national anti-doping bodies police their own athletes really needs reforming. This after South Africa’s authority accepted Daryl Impey’s impressive tale last month too.
Edit: reading more about the case, gotta love Kreuziger’s nerve of claiming to have only paid Dr Michele “king of dope” Ferrari for “training plans”.
If he isn’t banned it just
If he isn’t banned it just makes the whole biological passport system an unfair , unjust debacle
The Czezh IOC has a lot to
The Czezh IOC has a lot to answer for. Where is the Czech ADA on this?
‘extreme dehydration’ again
‘extreme dehydration’ again eh? Where have I heard that one before??
Must be Mad wrote:’extreme
Quite. JTL must be climbing the walls after hearing this.
I’m sure someone can put me
I’m sure someone can put me right, but aren’t these cases all from the early days of the passport thingy? There don’t seem to be any caught that are actually recent tests – or is that just me not paying attention.
If I’m not incorrect in that perception then the things that appear to have affected people in 2012/2013 seem to have stopped affecting people now – and that is strange.