Kolobnev gets court date for Tour doping case

GENEVA (AP) - The International Cycling Union's appeal to have Russian rider Alexandr Kolobnev banned for doping at the 2011 Tour de France will be heard next month.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday it has set Feb. 7 for the hearing. A verdict is expected several weeks later.

The UCI challenged the Russian cycling federation's refusal to ban Kolobnev over his positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide after the fifth stage last July. The diuretic hides the presence of other banned drugs.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency classes Hydrochlorothiazide as a specified substance, which gives athletes a chance of explaining that they did not intend to consume it or enhance their performance.

A Russian anti-doping tribunal warned Kolobnev and fined him $1,600.

Kolobnev, the 2008 Beijing Olympics road race bronze medalist and a two-time World Championships runner-up, gave the only positive test at the Tour.

Russian team Katusha withdrew him from the race before the 10th stage and later dropped him for the 2012 season.

The UCI said Friday it ended a second investigation of Kolobnev, which involved a Swiss magazine's allegations of in-race collusion.