Ullrich banned for two years

CAS also ruled that all of Ullrich's results since May 1, 2005, be annulled.

Ullrich, who retired in November 2007, thus sees his third-placed finish in the 2005 Tour de France written off.

"The CAS has partially upheld the appeal filed by the UCI (International Cycling Union) and has found Jan Ullrich guilty of a doping offence," CAS said.

"As a consequence, Jan Ullrich is sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility starting retroactively on August 22, 2011. Furthermore, all results achieved by the athlete on or after May 1, 2005, until his retirement are annulled."

CAS added: "Given the volume, consistency and probative value of the evidence presented by the UCI, and the failure of Ullrich to raise any doubt about the veracity or reliability of such evidence, this panel is satisfied beyond its comfortable satisfaction that Ullrich engaged at least in blood doping in violation of Article 15.2 of the UCI Rules."

The CAS hearing came about after the UCI appealed to the court against the Swiss Olympic Committee's decision to halt an investigation into Ullrich's past.

The Swiss Olympic committee, with whom Ullrich had a licence, had decided not to pursue the investigation about Ullrich, who lived in Switzerland, because the German resigned from the Swiss cycling federation in 2006.

Ullrich, the former T-Mobile lead rider, was linked to the Operation Puerto scandal in 2006 after samples of his blood were found during a police raid on Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes who was at the center of a doping ring.

Spanish rider Francisco Mancebo, who was also implicated in the Operation Puerto investigation, moves up from fourth to third in the 2005 Tour. Ivan Basso, the second-place finisher in '05, also served a two-year suspension based on Puerto evidence.

Ullrich has always insisted he is innocent and has never doped.

CAS saw it otherwise, however, with secretary-general Matthieu Reeb saying the date of May 1, 2005, had been "retained because it is established that Jan Ullrich was fully engaged with the doping programm of Doctor Fuentes at least from that date".

Apart from his 1997 Tour win and his third-placed showing in 2005, Ullrich also finished second in the world's toughest and most prestigious race on five occasions (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003) and fourth in 2004.

Other principal victories Ullrich notched up were podium-topping showings in the 1999 Tour of Spain and the 2004 Tour of Switzerland, as well as claiming Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games in the road race and silver in the time-trial.

Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic Committee expressed his relief the affair was finally over.

"The CAS verdict is clear," he said. "It's a shame that Jan Ullrich didn't take the opportunity to clear things up.

"We hope therefore, in his own interest, that he is now reasonable and explains himself."

Factfile on Germany's 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich.

Name: Jan Ullrich

Date of birth: December 2, 1973

Place of birth: Rostock, Germany

Nationality: German

Hight: 1.83m

Weight: 73 kg

Teams: Deutsche Telekom (1994-2002), Team Coast (2003, until April), Bianchi (2003, from April), T-Mobile (from 2004, sacked July 21, 2006)

Principal victories

Grand Tours:

Tour de France: 1st 1997, 2nd 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 3rd 2005, 4th 2004. Winner of seven stages (1 in 1996, 2 in 1997, 3 in 1998, 1 in 2003), held yellow jersey for 18 days

Vuelta a Espana: 1st in 1999 (plus two stages)

Giro d'Italia: Stage winner in 2006

Olympic Games: 1st road race 2000, 2nd time-trial 2000

German Championships: Road race winner 1997, 2001, time-trial 1995

Stage races:

Tour de Suisse 1st 2004 (1 stage in 1997, 2 in 2004, 1 in 2005)

Regio Tour 1st 1996