Italian cyclist Valentino Fois has been suspended until April 1st, next year, by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) after failing two drug tests.

The court's ruling followed an appeal by cycling's governing body UCI. UCI wanted the court to overturn a decision by the appeal commission of the Italian Cycling Federation to treat two separate cases of doping by Fois as a single case.

Fois was suspended for eight months from September 30th, 1997, by the Italian federation. UCI appealed in July 1998. The Lausanne-based court agreed with the UCI that the two cases of doping, during the 1997 Tours of Switzerland and Poland, should be treated as two distinct offences.

The court imposed an additional ban of 12 months, with five months suspended. Taking into account the ban Fois has already served, he can now resume competition in April.