Hondo to ride again April 1?

German cyclist Danilo Hondo is planning to be back on his bike and racing on April 1, despite earlier reports that he would have to sit out an additional period.

Hondo, who rides for Tinkoff Credit Systems, tested positive for the banned substance Carphedon during the 2005 Vuelta a Murcia, challenged his original ban in the Swiss courts, and won a temporary reprieve when the Swiss courts overturned the suspension imposed on him by the Swiss cycling federation. After serving one year of the ban, he started riding again in April 2006, but his suspension was reinstated in January 2007 by the Swiss Supreme Court.

Friday afternoon, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued a "clarification" concerning his ban. According to Hondo, the court does not have the right to extend his punishment, under both Swiss and European law. In order to conform with the ban, any results and titles that he received while he rode during his suspension would be removed from his record, and any prize money that he received would have to be paid back.

However, Hondo noted, he did not receive any prize money for last year anyway, when he rode for Team Lamonta, because of the ongoing legal case.