The head of the Spanish cycling federation is hopeful that Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will be cleared of doping in what is expected to be a drawn-out investigation.

The International Cycling Union asked the Spanish body on Monday to open disciplinary proceedings against the three-time Tour winner, who has been provisionally suspended.

"Personally, as the president of the cycling federation, I hope it's resolved in favor of the athlete. Not only for the benefit of the cyclist, but it would be good for cycling," Juan Carlos Castano told Spanish radio late on Monday. "I've know him since he was very young ... and I can't help but feel this empathy with Alberto Contador."

Contador - one of only five cyclists to win cycling's three biggest races - risks losing his Tour title and facing a two-year ban.

Castano said the UCI's delay in providing documents had created doubts over the "complicated" case, which Contador, 27, claims came from contaminated meat.

"What's clear is this will be a complicated case due to all the documents we've received from the UCI," Castano said. "Usually once the results are known in the laboratory they are immediately sent to the Spanish federation's committee to open the case. This has taken three months and has created a lot of doubts in all senses."

Castano said the RFEC's four-person disciplinary committee will begin discussing the case today. Spanish law gives the committee three months to reach a verdict before the case is turned over to Spain's national anti-doping agency. At that point, the UCI could also take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The UCI has submitted six times the normal amount of documents for the case, Castano said, while Contador's team had also submitted a high number of documents in his defense.

Favorable treatment

Yesterday, Castano attempted to cut out any notion that Contador would receive favorable treatment. "If Alberto has made a mistake then he will have to assume his responsibility because the competition committee will not show any favorable treatment because it's Contador. The rules will be applied and we'll try to be fair."

Castano expects the case to drag into the Court of Arbitration for Sport regardless of the outcome. The UCI, the World Anti-Doping Agency or Contador can go to CAS if unhappy with the outcome.

The UCI announced in September that Contador had been provisionally suspended after his urine sample taken on the July 21 rest day contained "very small" traces of banned anabolic agent clenbuterol. The UCI did not mention alleged high levels of plastic residue found in Contador's sample, which scientists believe can indicate a rider has received a transfusion of his own blood.

Tour runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg stands to win the title if Contador is stripped.