BURY cyclist Simon Yates will miss the Tour de France but return to racing in July after the International Cycling Union gave him a four-month ban for testing positive for Terbutaline.

Yates was not provisionally suspended after returning an adverse analytical finding for the asthma drug while competing at Paris-Nice in March, with his Orica-GreenEdge team seeking to take the blame, saying it was due to an administrative error as the team doctor had failed to correctly apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

The Australian team kept Yates out of competition while they awaited the UCI's verdict, and had held out hope he would be cleared in time for the Tour de France, which starts on July 2.

But on Friday the team announced Yates would instead return at the Tour of Poland, which starts on July 12.

The team's general manager Shayne Bannan said in a statement: "Simon has been given a four-month sanction by the UCI given the administrative error in not having a required TUE for his asthma inhaler at Paris-Nice.

"The team has taken full responsibility for this all along and we look forward to seeing Simon back racing.

"It has been an unfortunate break due to circumstances that Simon cannot be blamed, but above all we are happy that it has now come to a conclusion.

"Simon has been training well and we welcome him back on the roster for a strong second part of the season."

Yates returned the positive test on March 12, and the team were made aware on April 22.

Last month, the team had listed Yates on their provisional start list for the Criterium du Dauphine, a race often used by riders to fine-tune for the Tour, but he did not take part.

The 23-year-old former Derby High School pupil, who won gold in the points race at the 2013 Track World Championships in Minsk, is among Britain's brightest prospects.

He made his Tour de France debut in 2014 and raced again in 2015, having opted to sign for Australian squad Orica-GreenEdge ahead of Team Sky.

His twin brother Adam is due to lead Orica-GreenEdge in the tour, but the Australian team had hoped to have the pair together.