Chris Froome was cleared of wrongdoing in an anti-doping case which had cast a shadow over his participation in the Tour de France.

"I am very pleased that the UCI has exonerated me," the British rider said after the International Cycling Union announced that a probe into Froome had been dropped.

The decision came a day after Tour organizers barred Froome from taking part in the race over doping suspicions.

Froome, 33, was found to have twice the permissible amount of the legal asthma drug Salbutamol in his system during the Vuelta a Espana, which he won.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE