Millar was hoping to return to competitive cycling this year

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the original suspension but ruled that the start date of the ban should be brought forward.

That means that the 28-year-old Scot can ride in next year's Tour.

Millar was banned by British Cycling in August after he admitted taking the blood-booster EPO. He argued it should be no longer than 12 months.

But CAS said: "The two-year ban was proportionate to the circumstances of the case and was in accordance with the CAS jurisprudence."

A CAS panel did rule, however, that the ban should end on 24 June 2006 and not August next year as he had been unable to compete from the time of his arrest before the 2004 Tour de France.

Millar's case was centred on changes to International Cycling Union (UCI) rules that were introduced shortly after his disciplinary hearing last year.

However, he did not contest the ICU's decision to strip him of the 2003 world time-trial title.

The BCF were angered by Millar's decision to appeal and argued they had been lenient by not giving him a maximum four-year suspension.