Ask Mark Cavendish what sort of punishment is appropriate to cycling’s drugs cheats and he has no doubts – “prison”, says the young Manxman.

Former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich announced his retirement from cycling today.

FLOYD LANDIS made his latest attempt to prove his innocence of doping charges in the court of public opinion yesterday, publishing on his website a detailed defence which included hundreds of pages of documents and a Powerpoint presentation.

FLOYD LANDIS hailed the patience and persistence that his parents instilled in him in his youth as he swept to victory in the Tour de France to become the first winner in the post-Lance Armstrong era.

FLOYD LANDIS was yesterday confirmed as Tour de France champion after the traditional final stage finish on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

The American dominance of the Tour de France looks set to continue as Floyd Landis remained in pole position to win this year’s title going into the final weekend of action.

Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France winner, has been sacked by his T-Mobile team.

MATTHIAS KESSLER produced a strong finish to win an action-packed third stage of the Tour de France yesterday as world champion Tom Boonen claimed the yellow jersey.

The absence of a certain Texan for the first time in eight years should create a wide-open Tour de France.

Rafael Nadal must put aside off-court controversy as he prepares for tomorrow’s Wimbledon quarter-final meeting with Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

Rafael Nadal tonight reacted angrily to being linked to the doping scandal which has rocked the Tour de France.

DICK POUND believes cycling “is in the toilet” following the latest doping scandal to rock the sport.

Tour de France director Jean Marie Leblanc has congratulated T-Mobile for ousting race favourite Jan Ullrich on the eve of the competition after he was named in a doping investigation.

Germany’s Jan Ullrich, the favourite to win this year’s Tour de France, has been suspended by his team T-Mobile.

LANCE ARMSTRONG’S anointed heir Ivan Basso will launch his bid for the vacant Tour de France throne in Strasbourg next July.

LANCE ARMSTRONG retired from cycling yesterday after winning a seventh Tour de France title and still at the height of his powers.

Lance Armstrong quit cycling with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today and named Italian rider Ivan Basso as his likely successor.

Champion-elect Lance Armstrong produced a masterful display of time-trial cycling to win the penultimate 20th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday and all but seal an incredible seventh title.

Lance Armstrong has still to win a stage at this year’s Tour de France but Paolo Salvodelli today became the second of his Discovery team-mates to cross the line first with an impressive victory in Revel.

THE final mountain stage of the 2005 Tour de France passed comfortably yesterday for Lance Armstrong who, barring injury or mishap, will accept his seventh consecutive title in Paris on Sunday.

JAN ULLRICH has all but given up on his challenge to Lance Armstrong on this year’s Tour de France and admitted he is fighting Michael Rasmussen for a place on the podium.

Lance Armstrong survived a series of attacks to retain the yellow jersey on stage 14 of the Tour de France, which was won by Austrian rider Georg Totschnig.

Lance Armstrong heads for the Pyrenees in the yellow jersey with his grip on the Tour de France as tight as ever after a 13th stage won by Robbie McEwen of Australia today.

John Roberts

WITH the Alps now behind him, Lance Armstrong remains in command of the Tour de France after yesterday’s 11th stage honours went to Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan.

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde won stage 10 of the Tour de France on a day when Lance Armstrong regained the yellow jersey.

SIX-TIME winner Lance Armstrong lost the Tour de France yellow jersey after another dramatic day of climbing which handed Germany’s Jens Voigt the race lead for only the second time in his career.

Scott Dougal

Lance Armstrong laid an iron grip on the yellow jersey today after victory in the team time-trial delivered a substantial lead in the 2005 Tour de France.

JAN ULLRICH believes six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's decision to quit after this year's race in July has set up a classic confrontation.

CIARAN POWER will leave for the USA today with a smile on his face after the best performance of his cycling career in the intense heat on Saturday afternoon when he finished 13th in the Olympic Road Race.

Ireland's Ciaran Power came 13th in the men's raod race in Athens today.

BOXER Andy Lee, probably Ireland's biggest medal hope at the Olympic Games, may be granted a bye to the second round of the tournament.

Lance Armstrong secured a record sixth Tour de France victory on the Champs Elysee after surviving the final stage unscathed today.

Lance Armstrong won his fifth stage of the 91st Tour de France today to all but seal his sixth successive victory and a pre-eminent place in the history of cycling’s greatest event.

Lance Armstrong was fiercely criticised by Domina Vacanze team manager Vincenzo Santoni after the American rider renewed his personal feud with Italian cyclist Filippo Simeoni during the 18th stage of the Tour de France.

LANCE ARMSTRONG gave another demonstration of his total superiority over the Tour de France by sprinting to his fourth stage win of this year’s event.

Lance Armstrong gave another demonstration of his total superiority over the Tour de France by sprinting to his fourth stage win of this year’s event.

Lance Armstrong is back in the yellow jersey with which he has become so closely associated after a typically powerful surge to victory on stage 15 of the Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong outsprinted Ivan Basso to claim a 13th stage triumph in the Pyrenees and remain on course for a record sixth Tour de France victory.

Lance Armstrong landed what could prove a decisive blow on his biggest rivals today with a performance devastating to two of the men who hope to deny him a record sixth Tour de France victory.

David Moncoutie provided yet another reason for French cheer in the Tour de France with victory on stage 11 today.

ROBBIE McEWEN claimed the ninth stage of the Tour de France by a whisker in the closest finish of the Tour so far.