London: Triple Tour de France champion Alberto Contador's Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing over a failed dope test, due to start on August 1, has been postponed until at least November, the Swiss court said on Tuesday.
The hearing had already been delayed from June until August.
Contador, who tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, has been cleared by the Spanish cycling federation but the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency have both appealed against the decision.
"The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) 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," CAS said in a statement.
"As a consequence of the parties' request, the hearing which was scheduled for 1, 2 and 3 August 2011 is canceled and will be re-scheduled for new dates, probably in November 2011."
Spaniard Contador finished fifth in this year's Tour which ended on Sunday. Australian Cadel Evans won it for the first time.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 21:08