UCI urges fans to show ‘utmost sense of responsibility’ toward Contador
The UCI's management committee on Thursday urged fans and the media to show the "utmost sense of responsibility" toward Alberto Contador at the Tour de France.
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The committee, in a statement released to the media, affirmed that Contador “has the statutory right to take part in any competition.”
The “UCI Management Committee asks that we respect Alberto Contador’s right to be treated like every other rider who takes the start of the Tour de France,” the statement continued.
The Spanish cycling federation has acquitted Contador of doping charges stemming from the 2010 Tour de France. The UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency have appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. At the request of Contador’s attorneys, CAS has delayed a hearing on the appeal until after the Tour, thus allowing Contador to compete. He announced last weekend that he intended to race.
The committee’s statement, while urging respect and a presumption of innocence, also was critical of CAS’s timetable.
“The timetable set by the Court of Arbitration for Sport has caused some disappointment, even incomprehension, among many observers within the cycling community as well as the general public.
“The Management Committee is aware that, objectively, the duration of the proceedings, which might be considered excessively long, is the logical result of the need for justice to be administered properly.”
Related: The UCI statement