However RUSADA appears to confirm 1500 Swiss franc fine and warning
Responding to yesterday’s suggestions that Alexander Kolobnev will only be given a warning and a 1,500 Swiss franc fine for his positive test during this year’s Tour de France, the UCI has stated that it believes that the final penalty could potentially be different.
“So far we didn’t receive any official notification from Russia,” UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told VeloNation today. “My understanding is that what has been mentioned is only a proposal made by RUSADA [national anti-doping agency] to the Russian Federation – at least in my understanding – and not a final decision, which should be taken in the upcoming weeks.” [editor’s note – the case is actually being handled by the anti-doping commission of the Russian cycling federation]
Similarly, an initial proposal was also made earlier this year in the case of Alberto Contador. The Spanish federation RFEC originally suggested one penalty, then a week later imposed quite a different one. In the case of the Saxo Bank SunGard rider, a proposed one year ban was ultimately modified to the rider being completely cleared of any sanction. That decision has been appealed by both the UCI and WADA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and a hearing will be held next month.
However the anti-doping commission of the Russian cycling federation’s (FVSR) appears to have already made a final decision, according to the RUSADA website that it announced the result of the hearing today. It noted that Kolobnev denied the charge of doping and ‘was able to demonstrate that he did not intentionally ingest the substance.’ It added that hydrochlorothiazide is classified as “specified substance” in the WADA Prohibited List, which means that there is a greater potential for an unintentional positive.
“We found him guilty but also took into account extenuating circumstances,” stated commission chief Alexander Gusyatnikov. He said that the dossier will be forwarded to the UCI.
Carpani laid out the timescale for notification of the process, including any possible appeal to the CAS.
“According to the regulations, once this decision is taken, they are supposed firstly to send it to us, followed by the entire file within two weeks,” he explained. “At that point, with the document in our hands, we will start reviewing the case, and we will have one month to decide if we want to lodge an appeal to the CAS or we enforce the sanction as proposed.”
Coincidentally, a case involving the same banned substance, hydrochlorothiazide, was in the news today. Belgian rider Iljo Keisse lost an appeal in the Brussels Court of First Instance and remains banned in his country.
He was previously handed a two year sanction by the UCI, although his case also involved the stimulant cathine.
Kolobnev was the only rider to test positive during this year’s Tour de France.