Cycling body strips Landis of Tour title

Oscar Pereiro is the new champion of the 2006 Tour de France, according to the UCI.

Cycling's governing body declared the Spaniard the winner on Friday, a day after arbitrators in Paris upheld results of a test that showed American Floyd Landis, who had finished first, used synthetic testosterone.

"The UCI has informed both the rider and the organizer of the event," the organization said in a statement.

Tour de France organizers weren't so quick to hand the crown to the runner-up, saying they will not officially strip Landis of his title under until it becomes clear whether he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He has a month to do so.

"Oscar Pereiro will be the winner of the 2006 Tour as soon as all the appeal procedures will be over," Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France race director, told Associated Press Television News.

Landis received a two-year ban from the arbitrators on Thursday, more than a year after his stunning comeback in Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour— one that many people said couldn't be done without some kind of outside help. Flying to the lead near the start of a gruelling Alpine stage, Landis regained nearly eight minutes against the leader, and went on to win the three-week race.

Tests later found Landis to have elevated testosterone levels, but he has maintained that he did not engage in doping.