The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday suspended Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for two years for a doping offence he committed during the 2010 Tour de France, officials said.

The suspension, which runs through to August 6, 2012, means that Contador is stripped of his victory in the race that year and will be unable to take part in this year’s edition.

Contador tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, but he was subsequently cleared by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) in February 2011, prompting the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Cycling Union (UCI) to appeal the decision to CAS.

The 29-year-old Spaniard claimed he had ingested the banned substance by eating a contaminated steak, an explanation which satisfied the RFEC but which failed to pass muster with the UCI and WADA.

Apart from losing his 2010 Tour de France title, the verdict means that Contador is stripped of all his wins in 2011, which include the Giro d’Italia.

It also comes a further body blow to the sport of cycling which has been wracked by doping offences over the last 15 years – particularly involving the Tour de France, the toughest and most prestigious race in the world.

The CAS verdict, which was handed down after a series of suspensions and controversies in the case, was made by a three-man jury consisting of Israeli Efraim Barack, Swiss Quentin Byrne-Sutton and Ulrich Haas, of Germany.

Contador has 30 days to lodge an appeal with the Swiss Federal Court.

Contador’s win in 2010 was his third in the Tour de France and under UCI rules his suspension means he would forfeit the victory to Andy Schleck, of Luxembourg, who finished as runner-up.