My legacy won't be tainted, says Chris Froome

The four-time Tour de France winner's results indicated double the allowed level of asthma medication Salbutamol.

However, in an interview with the BBC, Froome denied any wrongdoing.

"I understand this comes as a big shock to people," he said. "I certainly haven't broken any rules here."

He said that he felt his legacy in cycling would not be permanently tainted by this incident, but said he understood some of the negative reactions to the news.

"I can understand a lot of people's reactions, especially given the history of the sport," he said.

"This is not a positive test. The sport is coming from a very dark background and I have tried to do everything through my career to show that the sport has turned around."

The urine test, taken on 7 September, showed that Froome's levels of Salbutamol were at 2,000 nanograms per millilitre, compared to Wada's limit of 1,000 ng/ml.

"I have been a professional cyclist now, treating my symptoms and racing with asthma, for 10 years," said Froome.

"I know what those rules are, I know what those limits are and I have never been over those limits.

"I have got a very clear routine when I use my inhaler and how many times. I have given all that information to the UCI to help get to the bottom of it."