Faced with the weight of evidence from Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Jonathan Vaughters and more, the governing UCI had little choice but to ratify the USADA's decision and leave a blank in the record books, with President Pat McQuaid saying Armstrong had "no place in cycling".

As a result, Armstrong, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was dropped by sponsors such as Nike and even had his name removed from the cancer foundation he created.

Rabobank, a long-time sponsor of the sport, also left cycling because of the negative effects of the Armstrong scandal.

With the sport on its knees, the UCI set up a commission to look into the USADA's decision and into allegations the governing body had failed to do everything it could in the fight against doping.

By that time, Wiggins was still trying to come to terms with the fact he had won the Tour.

The kid from the London district of Kilburn had an outstanding season, winning the Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine week-long races before becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France as Team Sky's obsession with details paid off.

Wiggins built his success on his impressive time-trialing abilities and benefited from his team's support in the mountains, with Chris Froome sacrificing his own chances for his leader but still finishing second overall.

The race was not the most spectacular in recent Tour history, but it rewarded a rider and a team who left little to chance.