MADRID, Spain - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero believes there is "no legal reason" to sanction Tour de France champion Alberto Contador over his positive doping test.
Contador was handed a proposed one-year ban by the Spanish cycling federation last month after testing positive for clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour.
A final verdict is expected soon.
Zapatero said on the Spanish government's Twitter feed that "there's no legal reason to justify sanctioning Contador."
Contador claims he unintentionally consumed the clenbuterol by eating contaminated meat and vows to appeal any ban. He stands to be stripped of his third Tour title if the ban is applied.
Leading figures including Zapatero, sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky and several Spanish media outlets have rallied behind Contador's case.
The Spanish federation said Friday it has total trust in its disciplinary committee to hand down the right verdict.
"(The federation) wants to show its total and unconditional support to the disciplinary committee," the federation said in a statement. "We ask for the complete respect of its independence."
The panel proposed the one-year ban in late January. Contador was given 10 days to present further evidence. He submitted further documentation Monday that he said showed "no fault or negligence" on his part.
