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Heras to appeal against doping ban
 Heras has been stripped of the gold jersey he won in the Tour of Spain MADRID, Spain -- Roberto Heras plans to appeal against a two-year ban handed to him for a positive test for EPO in last year's Tour of Spain, his lawyer has said. Jose Maria Buxeda confirmed the Spanish rider had received notification of the sanction from the Spanish Cycling Federation on Wednesday. Heras will now decide whether to launch a legal appeal in Spain or take the case to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. "We need to study the decision carefully to see where we will take the appeal," said Buxeda. "If we take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport it will take at least five months for a resolution." Heras, who will turn 32 this month, tested positive for the banned blood-boosting substance in the penultimate stage of the Tour of Spain - when he was on his way to a record fourth triumph in the three-week race. EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells, increasing oxygen-carrying capacity and therefore improving endurance. The official confirmation of the sanction means that he will now be stripped of his title and victory will be handed to Russian cyclist Denis Menchov, with Spanish duo Carlos Sastre and Francisco Mancebo completing the podium. The only previous winner of the race to be stripped of his title was Spanish rider Angel Arroyo who was disqualified after testing positive for amphetamines in 1982. Heras, who was suspended by his Liberty Seguros team when the news of the positive test was made public in November, will also be banned from competing for one of the elite ProTour teams for four years. The Spaniard, a former team mate of seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in the US Postal team, has protested his innocence, arguing first that there must have been a laboratory mix-up and then that the testing process for EPO was flawed. "I cannot accept that my name has been stained for something I am certain I did not do," said Heras. "It is obvious that this has opened a new stage in my life, but I am going to do everything to prove my innocence. "Everyone who knows me knows that I have always competed cleanly and that I have tried to be among the best by virtue of hard work, effort, discipline and a great deal of sacrifice," he added. Heras has one month to appeal against the decision. 
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