Cycling will today start the new week as the last one ended - with a doping controversy involving a Tour de France winner making the headlines.
On Friday it was announced by the United States Attorney General a federal investigation into allegations against seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong and his former US Postal Service team had been brought to a close with no charges being laid against the Texan.
But the issue is not dead just yet, as the US Anti Doping Agency has said it will continue to investigate the case that has divided Armstrong supporters and opponents.
And today, in another heavily debated controversy, the fate of triple Tour winner Alberto Contador, who tested positive for clenbuterol in the 2010 race on the second and last rest day in the Pyrenees, is due to revealed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
The CAS has heard appeals from the Union Cycliste Internationale and World Anti Doping Agency against the Spanish federation's decision last February to clear the Spaniard, allowing him to race.
All that everyone has agreed on so far after several delays is that a quicker process of resolution must be found by the CAS.
As GreenEDGE general manager Shayne Bannan said at the Tour of Qatar on Saturday: ''Whatever happens to him, it's dragged on way too long. At the start of a season, whether it's good news for Contador or bad news, it's something that should have been resolved a long time ago.''
However, no matter if the UCI and WADA appeal is accepted or rejected by the CAS, Bannan does not believe the issue will impact the sport badly.
Citing his activity behind the creation of a new team that is still in search of a principal sponsor, Bannan said: ''In my experience over the last 12 months [reaction] has been really positive. Any potential partners we have been talking to view cycling in a different light than about five years ago.
''That's a compliment to the authorities in cleaning the sport up - [with] the biological passport [system] - and to the teams and riders themselves.
''So I don't see that the decision will have a major impact on where the future of GreenEDGE cycling is going because the ball is in our court.''
Asked if he has a view on the Armstrong case, Bannan said: ''No ... I'm just glad there has been a verdict given and it's obviously been very thorough.''
But sports director of Australian Tour champion Cadel Evans's BMC team John Lelangue, who managed the Phonak team of American Floyd Landis who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after testing positive to testosterone, was seemingly indifferent about the separate cases concerning Armstrong and Contador.
Asked if he had a view about the two issues, he said on Saturday: ''On Friday, my main view was to travel with my guys to Doha and [today] my main view will be to have a good team time trial of 11 kilometres [in the second stage of the Tour of Qatar]. I dont care about politics. I am confident about the judges.''
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