The Belfast rider, who competed in this year's Commonwealth Games, was found to have had excessive levels of Norandrosterone in a urine sample taken during the Tour of Austria in June.

The Volksbank Ideal team member had the test on 16 June.

Analysis of McCann's B sample showed a similar result and he was handed a six-month ban and fined 2000 Swiss Francs at a Cycling Ireland hearing on 29 August.

News of McCann's ban was released by Cycling Ireland on Friday.

The Belfast rider is understood to have insisted that he had never knowingly taken a banned substance although he could not be contacted for comment on Friday.

The positive reading was 8.6 nanograms/ml which is above the 5ng/ml Norandrosterone limit set by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

McCann will now be banned from competing until 29 May 2003.

In a statement on Friday, Cycling Ireland president PJ Nolan said his organisation wouldn't tolerate "any illegal substances in the sport" and warned competitors to be wary of nutritional supplements.

Eighth in Manchester

"Recent studies have shown that up to 20 per cent of nutritional supplements tested contained concentrations of certain substances that could result in positive tests for athletes," said Nolan.

"It is the athlete's own responsibility to make sure every supplement they use is free of contamination.

"My advice would be that if in doubt, do not take anything that could cause problems".

McCann's biggest international victory came in the Tour of Hokkaido in Japan in 2001.

He has competed in two Olympics and three Commonwealth Games.

In the recent Manchester Games, McCann took eighth place in the men's road time trial.