2006 Tour de France champion appeals against drug ban

By IANS

New York : Floyd Landis is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a ban imposed when he failed a drugs test after winning the 2006 Tour de France.


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It follows September’s ruling by a US arbitration panel that upheld findings that he used synthetic testosterone.

The Lausanne-based CAS is Landis’ final venue of appeal in the case.

“I want to take this opportunity to say again that I am innocent of the doping allegations against me,” said Landis on his website.

The 31-year-old cyclist was stripped of his title and given a two-year racing suspension, which will run until January 2009.

“I hope that the arbitrators of the case will fairly address the facts showing that the French laboratory made mistakes, which resulted in a false positive.

“Although the process of proving my innocence has been difficult for me and my family, I will not stop trying to prove my innocence,” added Landis.

Landis is the first rider in the race’s history to be stripped of the title for a doping offence.

Spain’s Oscar Pereiro, the 2006 Tour runner-up, will receive the winner’s yellow jersey in a ceremony Oct 15 in Madrid.

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