After 1 1/2 years of trials, appeals and waiting, the CAS has given their final ruling for doping charges against Tyler Hamilton: guilty of blood doping.

Given the circumstances involved, this result does not seem right. At the top of the suspicion list is the whole blackmail thing where some guy demanded 20,000 Swiss Francs from Phonak team manager Urs Freuler or he would make Phonak riders fail the doping tests. They caught the guy and charged him all kinds of stuff, including blackmail, but not before Tyler and another Phonak rider both failed doping tests.

I know there are arguments on both sides about Tyler's innocence, but I just think this whole thing is a big charade. Tyler is innocent.

More details in this newsflash from cyclingnews.com

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the doping charges against Tyler Hamilton. Hamilton was accused of receiving a homologous blood transfusion during the 2004 Vuelta a España and has been maintaining his innocence ever since. As the appeal was rejected, Hamilton will remain banned from pro cycling until September 22, 2006.

However, Hamilton is set on continuing his struggle to clear his name and make known alleged inconsistencies of the anti-doping system. "Based on my devastating personal experience over the last year and a half, I am committed to fighting for reform within the anti-doping mouvement," the Olympic champion said on his personal website. "I do support the anti-doping mission and USADA, however the current system has failed an innocent athlete and needs to change.

"Out of respect to fairness and the rights of all athletes, there should be clear separation between the agencies that develop new tests and those that adjudicate anti-doping cases. Credible, independent experts, not those who funded or developed the original methodology, should be charged with properly validating new tests," the statement continued.

"I don't believe any athlete should be subjected to a flawed test or charged with a doping violation through the use of a method that is not fully validated or generates fluctuating results. I will also continue to support the formation of unions to help protect the rights of athletes. My goal is to keep other athletes from experiencing the enormous pain and horrendous toll of being wrongly accused."