Landis in last-chance drugs plea

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.

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

"I want to take this opportunity to say again, that I am innocent of the doping allegations against me," said Landis.

Landis, 31, 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.

Oscar Pereiro, of Spain, the 2006 Tour runner-up, will receive the winner's yellow jersey in a ceremony on 15 October in Madrid.

The Cas, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is Landis's final venue for appealing against the case.

Source: BBC Sport