USADA's arbitration process officially closed Thursday. Decision must be in by September 23rd

Landis decision due before Interbike

Interbike’s Outdoor Demo starts on September 24th with the indoor convention kicking off on September 26th.

If Landis is cleared by the three-man arbitration panel it’s highly probable that Landis would make a triumphant appearance at the trade show. He would be a show-stopping draw on booth 1761, the expo space of the Saris Cycling Group, a long-term Landis sponsor.

The pic above was taken at a previous Interbike appearance by Landis.

If the decision went against Landis he could use an Interbike appearance to continue his PR campaign to clear his name.

Whichever side loses, it’s likely there would be an appeal lodged with the Switzerland-based CAS, the Court for the Arbitration for Sport.

The arbitration decision will be minutely dissected on the Trust But Verify blog.

The LA Times said the arbitration process was formally closed last Thursday. Arbitration rules say a decision has to be rendered ten days after the process is closed. The hearing’s nine days of publically-viewable sessions ended on May 23rd but the hearing was not formally dissolved, allowing the arbitrators to spend as much time as they wanted to weigh the facts – and innuendo – in the case.

If Landis does attend Interbike he might want to avoid the LeMond Fitness booth at 4pm on the Wednesday and Thursday of the show . That’s when Greg Lemond is to sign autographs for show visitors. Tip: don’t proffer ‘Positively False’.

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