Spanish Cycling Federation invites WADA and UCI to make joint decision on Contador

A definitive verdict on Alberto Contador's case could be reached in a far briefer time than expected after the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) reportedly invited WADA and the UCI to help them reach a joint decision on the Tour de France winner's positive test for clenbuterol.

According to a report in Sunday's El País newspaper, the RFEC has sent all the documentation for the case to both World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). WADA has yet to respond, but the UCI has apparently said it will respond by January 23.

An unnamed source within the RFEC told El País, "The UCI and WADA took ages to decide that we were the ones who would have to handle the Contador case, so they should help us reach a verdict too."

The unprecedented move, if confirmed, would eliminate the need for the case to go - as is widely expected - to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should the UCI or WADA feel that the RFEC made the wrong decision about the Contador case. A decision from the RFEC was expected in early February.

"If the UCI or WADA, after studying the case, decide there has to be a penalty, then we'll impose that penalty and if not, then not," the Federation source stated.

"Either way, they can't accuse us of being influenced by being overly patriotic, because if the UCI or WADA agree with our decision, then they won't go to CAS."

The UCI has already seen a lot of the original documentation given it sent it all to the RFEC when they opened a case on November 9, 2010.

However, since then there have been hearings at the RFEC, with Contador's lawyers providing additional information in his defence to the RFEC four-person disciplinary committee overseeing the case. Presumably the UCI, or WADA have not had access to that additional information - until this latest development.