Floyd Landis (capture-the-peloton.com)

NEW YORK, Sep 20 (CP) - American cyclist Floyd Landis has been convicted to a two-year suspension and is likely to lose his 2006 Tour de France victory. The rider was today judged guilty by the US Anti-Doping agency.

The USADA needed four months to come to this conclusion, after a hearing in May this year.

After a disappointing performance a day before, Landis miraculously defeated his rivals in stage seventeen of the 2006 Tour de France and reconquered the overall lead.

The then Phonak rider would keep his Jersey until Paris, but his name became the focus of accusations only days later.

Landis since claimed to be innocent, but the USADA now ruled differently.

If the rider fails to appeal at the CAS in Lausanne, he will be suspended until January of 2009, and officially loses his Tour victory.

World governing body UCI already reacted by saying that Spanish cyclist Oscar Pereiro is truly the winner of last year's Tour.

Tour de France organisers ASO have not reacted as of yet.

© Jonathan Roorda