Cycling-UCI and WADA drop doping case against Kreuziger

PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) withdrew their appeal against Czech Roman Kreuziger on Friday after finding no evidence of an anti-doping violation. "Based on the availability of newly obtained information, the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) have come to the conclusion that, in accordance with the applicable UCI anti-doping rules and WADA Athlete Biological Passport operating guidelines, there is at this stage no basis to proceed further," the UCI said in a statement. "They have therefore decided to withdraw their appeals." Tinkoff-Saxo rider Kreuziger had been cleared by the Czech Olympic Committee last September, only for the UCI and WADA to appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Kreuziger was omitted from his team's Tour de France roster in 2014 and then provisionally suspended by the UCI, subsequently missing the Vuelta and the world championships. His biological passport data in question stemmed from 2011 and 2012, when Kreuziger, fifth in the 2013 Tour de France, was riding for the controversial Astana team. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Justin Palmer)