Hamilton

[J.Greene]

Has there been any news from the Hamilton twins lately? It seems he has gone underground.

JG

[Big Dan]

Believe.......................on both of them............. :cool:

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . from Velonews today. I will go out on a limb and predict that USA Cycling will find some sort of technicality to use to keep him from actually racing or that USADA will miraculously issue some sort of finding by tomorrow. :rolleyes:

BBD

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Hamilton ban ends Friday
By Andrew Hood
VeloNews European correspondent
This report filed September 21, 2006

The two-year racing ban of Tyler Hamilton ends officially Friday and the Olympic time trial champion can immediately return to domestic competition - for now anyway.

The New Englander's troubles seem far from over, however. He is facing a possible lifetime ban if documents found in the "Operación Puerto" dossier show proof of alleged doping practices and the UCI wants to keep him out of the elite ProTour league for another two years.

"He can race in USA Cycling-sanctioned events as of tomorrow," said USA Cycling spokesman Andy Lee told VeloNews. "Until USADA makes some sort of finding in the Puerto case, he can resume racing in the meantime."

Hamilton, 35, does not currently hold an active racing license as his previous one expired Dec. 31, 2004. He can easily go online to the USA Cycling web page and buy an international license for $150.

Hamilton - who tested positive for homologous blood doping after winning a time trial at the 2004 Vuelta a España - could potentially race this weekend in any U.S. domestic race.

The former CSC, Phonak and U.S. Postal Service rider has vigorously denied allegations he injected another person's blood to boost his performance and mounted a sophisticated legal and public relations campaign to protest his innocence.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in February upheld the two-year ban imposed by USADA in 2005.

With Hamilton's racing ban nearly completed, UCI officials are insisting he will not be allowed to return to a ProTour team next season because his legal challenge carried over into the 2005-06 seasons, well into the inaugural season of the new ProTour series and its Ethics Code.

The new ethics charter states that riders testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances face first-time two-year bans and an additional two-year ban before being allowed to return to one of the 20 elite ProTour teams.

Hamilton, whose ban began in 2004, is all but sure to challenge that ruling.

Hamilton is facing a more dangerous threat with the Puerto papers. UCI officials say Hamilton would be banned for life if evidence can demonstrate doping practices.

Spanish authorities claim they found in a series of raids carried out in May evidence that Hamilton worked with controversial Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes during 2002-04 seasons.

USA Cycling received documents from the UCI late last week and those were quickly handed off to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which handles disciplinary cases for the cycling organization.

The Puerto investigation is treading on new ground for both the UCI and USADA. There's never been a case where a cyclist has been banned based solely on evidence on doping, without the proof of a positive doping test.

Hamilton has vigorously denied working with Fuentes.

USADA officials acknowledged last week it is opening a review of the Puerto papers, but have yet to make any decision on whether they will open an official inquiry.

Until that happens, Hamilton is clear to resume racing domestically.