The two-time major winner later released a more thorough statement to media in summarizing his feelings:
“I am disappointed to hear that WADA have chosen to appeal the result of my ITIA hearing after the independent judges had exonerated me and deemed me to be innocent.
“Over the past few months and throughout this process there have been three separate hearings in each case confirming my innocence.“Several months of interviews and investigations culminated in three senior judges scrutinizing every detail through a formal hearing.
“They issued an in-depth judgement explaining why they determined me not at fault, with clear evidence provided and my cooperation throughout.
“On the back of such a robust process, both the ITIA and the Italian anti-doping authority accepted it and waived their rights to appeal.
“I understand these things need to be thoroughly investigated to maintain the integrity of the sport we all love. However, it is difficult to see what will be gained by asking a different set of three judges to look at the same facts and documentation all over again.
“This being said, I have nothing to hide, and as I have done throughout the summer, I will cooperate fully with the appeal process and provide whatever may be needed to prove my innocence once again.”
