Top sports court to hear Alejandro Valverde’s appeal to overturn 2-year doping ban

Top court to hear Valverde appeal on doping ban

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Sport’s highest court says it will hear Alejandro Valverde’s appeal to overturn a doping ban that stops the star cyclist from riding in the Tour de France.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday it will try to schedule the case as soon as possible. The Tour begins July 4.

Valverde is challenging a two-year ban imposed last month by the Italian Olympic Committee that prevents him from riding in Italy. The three-week Tour heads into Italy on July 21.

The Spanish cyclist says the Italian committee has no right to sanction him. The committee said a blood sample taken from Valverde in last year’s Tour matched DNA from blood bags seized during a doping investigation in Spain.