Headed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, Team Saxo Bank owner Riis Cycling is planning a legal battle with the International Cycling Union (UCI) over a rule which will likely prevent the Danish WorldTour cycling team from keeping its WorldTour team status for the 2013 season.

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who is currently suspended for doping, is yet to sign a contract for the remaining part of the 2012 season and beyond.

If Contador signs a new contract with Team Saxo Bank, the world ranking points which Contador may earn when he returns to competition in August 2012 and in the remaining part of the 2012 season will not be counted in the UCI ranking system, which decides whether Team Saxo Bank will be able to keep its status as a WorldTour team for the 2013 season.

According to a new UCI rule, cyclists convicted of doping will not generate any points for the world rankings for a period of two years after the end of their suspension period.

Riis is furious over the UCI rule, which prevents Contador's points from counting towards his team's WorldTour status. "Under no circumstances are we willing to accept this rule. It's the equivalent of Lionel Messi scoring for FC Barcelona after a suspension, but his goals not counting. I find the issue to be that grotesque," Riis told Danish daily newspaper Politiken.

"If we have a rider as expensive as Contador on our payroll, we must also be able to use him to fulfill our ambitions - and our ambitions include being part of the UCI World Tour," Riis explained.

Taking Team Saxo Bank's current position at the bottom of the WorldTour rankings into account, Riis and Team Saxo Bank are in desperate need of Contador's point generating legs. Not least because all remaining riders on the team to a great extent are failing to earn the team any points for the WorldTour rankings this season.

"We are currently in the process of extensive examinations which will help us determine how to proceed with our case against the UCI. I am perfectly aware of UCI's stance and it is now up to us to prove that their stance is completely invalid," Riis commented.

"It will be a completely legal battle and we are not going to succumb to the decrees issued by the UCI. That's all I can say at this point."

In spite of rumors that eight teams are interested in signing Contador, Riis adds that he is certain that Contador will ride for Team Saxo Bank in the 2nd half of the 2012 season and beyond.

"The negotiations with Contador have started and let me put it this way. I see no signs of us not continuing our cooperation."