Disgraced French cyclist Richard Virenque has lodged his appeal against a nine-month ban for doping with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), a court spokesman said today.
A spokesman for the Lausanne-based TAS, Mathieu Reeb, said the appeal was received by registered post on Wednesday.
Lawyers for Virenque, who has won four stages in the Tour de France and came second in 1996 and third in 1995 and also wore the yellow jersey for a day in 1992, must submit their written arguments within 10 days.
The 31-year-old five-time Tour de France King of the Mountains was banned after admitting during a trial involving his former Festina team last year that he had used performance-enhancing substances.
The ban, which comes into effect on February 1st and therefore rules him out of this year's Tour de France, was handed down by the Swiss Cycling Federation (FSC) because Virenque is a Swiss resident.
The FSC has 20 days to submit its arguments to the Court, which is expected to deliver its judgement within a maximum of four months.
Virenque has protested that the ban is excessively long and that it could force him to retire from the sport.
AFP