Three years after testing positive for a blood transfusion during the 2007 Tour de France, Andrey Kasheckhkin has reportedly signed a contract with the Lampre Farnese Vini team and could ride this year’s race.
According to the Swiss lawyer Ralph Izenneger, who represented Kashechkin in an appeal against his two year suspension and who is acting as his agent, the 30 year old is likely to “already defend [Lampre’s] colours in the 2010 Tour de France.”
He said that lengthy contract had already been agreed and that the rider would begin competing in a matter of days.
“After our meeting with the head of the International Cycling Union (UCI) in late October last year, Pat McQuaid confirmed that after serving a suspension, he may ride for any level of ProTour professional team,” Izennger told the Kazakh publication Sport.nur.kz. “I began looking at the employment options for Andrew. As a result Kashechkin signed a two-year contract with Lampre. For his new team Kashechkin will be able to ride in a few days time at the Tour of Slovenia.
“There is a chance of his appearance at the Tour de France 2010, but if the leadership of Lampre not dare to include him in its squad, then for sure Andrey will be competing in the last of the three Grand Tours - Spain's Vuelta in September.”
Kashechkin turned professional in 2001 with Domo-Farm Frites and took his first big victory two years later when he won a stage of the Tour of Luxembourg. He won the Sachsen Tour in 2004, netted second in the best young rider classification at the Tour de France in 2005, then had his most successful season on 2006. He became national road race champion, won stages in Paris-Nice and the Vuelta a España and finished third overall in the latter.
However his career grinded to a halt in 2007 when he was found positive for a homologous blood transfusion. Astana team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov was caught out in that year’s Tour, while Kashechkin was busted for the same charge as a result of an out of competition test taken while he was on holidays.
Izeneggera claimed that the rider’s rights had been violated and lodged an appeal with the Strasbourg International Court of Human Rights. He claims that WADA and the UCI both acted improperly, and claims they will be vindicated.
“The procedure for its consideration is very lengthy, and the first hearing of our case will only be held in October or November of this year,” he said. “I believe that we will win this thing, because he was innocent.”
There are plenty who would dispute that, but his penalty has been served and it seems that his career is about to restart. According to a report this week in the Basque newspaper Dario Vasco, the rider has a personal sponsor which will cover the cost of his contract.
He had hoped to resume racing with the Astana team but was reported to have fallen out with the Kazakh federation over claims that some of his salary from 2007 has been unpaid.