The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) has decided to ban Tour de France champion Alberto Contador for one year because of his failed drug test that took place durring last year’s race.

A statement released by the rider’s spokesman Jacinto Vidarte said on Wednesday that Alberto Contador has received notification of the one-year ban proposal by the competition committee of the Spanish federation.

Contador has threatened to end his career if he is punished. He has still 10 days to appeal the preliminary ruling before the RFEC gives their final decision.

Vidarte added that the 28-year-old rider will hold a news conference on Friday in Mallorca where he is currently training.

However, he did not mention if the federation has also decided to remove the Spaniard from the 2010 Tour title.

Since August, Contador has been temporarily suspended after it came out that he had tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned anabolic agent, during his third Tour de France win.

The athlete denied the wrongdoing. He said the failed test was because of food poisoning.

Even though he will accept the decision of the federal, he may still not be able to immediately close the controversy since the cycling’s world governing body called UCI, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency could defy the ban.

For the past few years, the sport has been marked with a series of high-profile drug testing cases, including 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis and 2006 champion Floyd Landis.

Seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong is also the center of federal investigation in United States after Landis alleged last year that the 39-year old Texan and other well-known figures in the sport had taken drugs.