...has allowed a request for a second exchange of written submissions between the parties as well as for a new procedural calendar. Such request was formulated by WADA with the unanimous agreement of the three other parties.
The second round of written submissions will allow the parties to complete their evidence and arguments relating to some specific scientific issues.
http://www.tas-cas.org/en/infogenerales.asp/4-3-4704-1092-4-1-1/5-0-1092-15-1-1/
I'm disappointed with the delay as well, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes. The day after the June scheduled hearing dates, it was announced that the five Mexican Gold Cup soccer players tested positive for Clenbuterol. WADA's handling of that could have an affect on the CAS decision. One of the players had a level 84 times as high as Contador's, and unlike Alberto, didn't have a test the previous day showing a zero amount.
There's also the non-case of four other players from the same test date. They're said to have had 200 picograms, 30, 30 and 30. WADA's largest Lab at UCLA was able to identify the amounts, but even though everyone claims there's no minimum threshold, the labs are allowed to totally ignore 200 picograms or less. Most labs can't even detect that small an amount, but UCLA decided in all four cases not to issue Adverse Analytical Findings. Mexico doesn't have a WADA lab, so maybe UCLA sees a lot of these in Mexican samples? Anyway, the cycling world was up in arms over Contador being allowed to compete based on 50 picograms. These four players were on the squad that won the Gold Cup.
WADA still claims to be studying info from the Mexican Federation before deciding what to do. The samples of the four who were never officially named went to Montreal and Cologne for whatever. But the clock on the thirty days to decide about an appeal has been running for a couple of weeks. If WADA does nothing, acknowledging that 200 picograms isn't even worth pursuing, and that nine soccer players eating contaminated meat is plausible, it has to help Contador's case. I followed the Mexican soccer thing in Google News every day, and I have no doubt that if WADA files an appeal, the soccer folks will ask to have it expedited. They were able to go from announced positive to Final Resolution in a month.
If I remember correctly, it was within a day or two after the Mexican announcement that a WADA member at an event in Italy said that they were going to suggest a minimum threshold for Clenbuterol, to be discussed at a July meeting. WADA put the kibosh on him and said the wouldn't be discussing Clenbuterol with the media again any time soon. But the meeting to decide about the 2012 list and regulations is in September.
So, there's a lot of WADA decisions about Clenbuterol going on before November. Since they're finally being forced to see the light on the Clenbuterol contamination issue, and the godawful law called Strict Liability, the "specific scientific issues" could be about something else. There was talk in June that they were adding in the plasticizer issue. If that's the case, and the test isn't even approved yet, there's obviously not a lot of studies available to use for defense.
Contador has some really solid lawyers.
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