German cyclist Stefan Schumacher's appeal against a two-year worldwide ban for doping has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
However, sport's top tribunal has back-dated the start of the appeal, meaning that he will be free to compete again from August.
Schumacher was banned from competing in France for two years by the French Anti-Doping agency in January last year after failing a doping test at the Tour de France in 2008.
Two months later, the UCI recognised the ban and made it worldwide.
