Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour de France winner who lost his crown after positive drug test results came back from a screening taken during the Tour, had his appeal to that ruling turned aside by an American arbitration panel that announced its decision Sept. 20.

Landis has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence all along, but those assertions coupled with allegations of mistakes in the testing process in the French labs were not enough to overturn the initial ruling. Landis tested positive in the drug screening for testosterone after a spectacular and improbable 120 km solo attack in Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour de France that vaulted him into first place and eventually onto the podium in Paris as the winner.

This finding means that Landis will forfeit his Tour crown and serve a two year suspension retroactive to January 30, 2007 unless he goes for his last and only hope: to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Is Floyd guilty? Should he file one final appeal? Comment below.
Read more here about drugs and doping in professional cycling.

Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images