Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara has urged cycling's authorities to reach a swift resolution to the uncertainty surrounding Chris Froome.
Froome retained his Tour de France title to win the prestigious event for the fourth time last year, before orchestrating a maiden Vuelta a Espana triumph.
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However, the British rider supplied a urine sample during his success in the Grand Tour event in Spain that displayed levels of asthma medication salbutamol in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) threshold of 1,000 nanograms per millilitre.
The 32-year-old returned to action in the Ruta del Sol amid an International Cycling Union investigation, as Froome and Team Sky attempt to prove he did not exceed the permitted salbutamol dosage of 1,600 micrograms over 24 hours.
None of the 20 other urine tests taken by Froome at the Vuelta required further explanation and the rider insisted he has done nothing wrong, but there have been calls for Froome to be suspended while the matter is resolved.
And Cancellara, Olympic time trial gold medallist in Beijing in 2008 and again in Rio de Janeiro two years ago, understands the pressing need for a satisfactory outcome.
"Of course it's a difficult time, of course it's a difficult situation because there's no clearness," the eight-time Tour de France stage winner, speaking at the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards, told Omnisport.
"Actually for all the people involved and not involved and even for myself. [We are asking] 'Yes or no and what will come'.
"It's a quite difficult moment for the sport in general because it's not just a small topic. It's a big topic.
"My opinion is the earlier this is solved the better it is for the sport. If it [Froome's innocence] is or it's not [confirmed], doesn't even matter. The importance is it has to be solved."
Froome is due to compete in the Giro d'Italia in May as he seeks to complete a clean sweep of the three Grand Tour events.
