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CAS overturns Pecharromán ban

by VeloNews.com

• January 27, 2009
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José Antonion Pecharromán in 2005.

Photo: Agence France Presse – file photo

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned a nine-month ban imposed on ex-Spanish rider José Antonion Pecharromán, who tested positive in 2007 for a product that was revealed to be a balding treatment.

According to reports on the Spanish wires, CAS agreed with an appeal filed by Pecharromán’s attorney, José Rodríguez, and over-turned the racing ban issued by the Spanish cycling federation. Initial reports did not detail why CAS overturned the racing ban.

Pecharromán ? who won the 2003 Volta a Catalunya and once was held in high promise as a potential stage-race contender ? tested positive in an anti-doping control on August 26, 2007, following the Clásica de los Puertos in Spain.

Pecharromán admitted to taking a medicine called “Proscar” (marketed as Propecia in the United States) under advice from his doctor to treat apolecia, a form of spot baldness.

The product contained finasteride, considered a masking agent for anabolic steroids and on WADA’s banned substance list since 2005.

Pecharromán, who was later fired by Benfica is now suing the Portuguese team for damages.