Frank Schleck has left the Tour de France after failing a doping test, his RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team have confirmed.

The banning of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for a doping offence was a “good day for all the clean athletes of the world”, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said yesterday.

The banning of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for a doping offence was a “good day for all the clean athletes of the world”, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said.

Alberto Contador was yesterday stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory and handed a two-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following his positive test for clenbuterol.

Alberto Contador was today banned for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory following his positive test for clenbuterol.

The Alberto Contador saga is set to stretch into a third calendar year after the Court of Arbitration for Sport today confirmed the sport of cycling will likely have to wait until 2012 for a final ruling into the Spaniard’s positive doping test.

Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford’s ambition was vindicated today as Geraint Thomas set up a first Tour de France stage win for the British squad and Norwegian prodigy Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Bradley Wiggins was in confident mood as the Tour de France entered a fifth day of racing today.

DEFENDING Tour de France champion Alberto Contador punched the air in celebration at the end of yesterday’s fourth stage in Brittany — despite being beaten to victory.

Belgium's Philippe Gilbert seized the Tour de France race leader's yellow jersey with victory in Les Herbiers today.

ANDY SCHLECK’S Leopard Trek team say they want to propel the two-time Tour de France runner-up to victory in cycling’s most prestigious bike race on the road, rather than in the courtroom.

Spain’s Alberto Contador is free to defend his Tour de France title in July after the Court of Arbitration for Sport this evening confirmed his doping case would be heard after the race.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport have reiterated their aim of ruling on the Alberto Contador case before the Tour de France after naming the arbitration panel for the hearing.

The future of cyclist Alberto Contador should be clear before the start of the Tour de France, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have joined the International Cycling Union (UCI) in appealing against the acquittal of three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador following a positive test for a banned substance.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has announced his retirement from cycling for the second time.

Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador is looking forward to being able to race again after being cleared of doping – but believes he will be “scarred for life” by the whole affair.

Alberto Contador has been cleared by the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation after testing positive for a banned substance during last year’s Tour de France and can return to competition immediately, his spokesman said today.

Alberto Contador claimed overall victory following the final stage of the Tour de France today.

THE farewell victory Lance Armstrong hoped for failed to materialise yesterday as the seven-time Tour de France winner was beaten to the line in Pau.

THE 13th Tour de France stage win of Mark Cavendish’s career yesterday came at a cost as Mark Renshaw, the Briton’s HTC-Columbia leadout man, was expelled from the race for headbutting.

The 13th Tour de France stage win of Mark Cavendish’s career today came at a cost as Mark Renshaw, the Briton’s HTC-Columbia leadout man, was expelled from the race for headbutting.

Mark Renshaw has been expelled from the Tour de France after helping his HTC-Columbia team-mate Mark Cavendish to victory on stage 11 by using his head.

Team Sky’s Simon Gerrans has been ruled out of the Tour de France after X-rays showed he has a broken arm, the British team announced today.

THE first Alpine stage of the 2010 Tour de France witnessed the fall of a legend as Lance Armstrong declared: “My Tour’s finished”.

Sylvain Chavanel reclaimed the race leader’s yellow jersey with victory on stage seven of the Tour de France today.

THE winning feeling returned for Mark Cavendish on the fifth stage of the Tour de France after a fraught and forgettable period on and off the bike.

FOUR birdies in a six-hole inward nine stretch breathed much-needed life into Pádraig Harrington’s Singapore Open challenge.

The 2010 Tour de France will start in Rotterdam with a 9 km time-trial course, the competition’s organisers announced today.

The organisers of the Tour de France have announced that the 2010 race will begin from the Dutch city of Rotterdam.