World cycling body hails court win over Floyd Landis

• Landis is ordered by court to pay UCI officials
• Cyclist was stripped of 2006 Tour title for doping
• Court will hear second defamation cause brought by UCI

GENEVA (AP) — The International Cycling Union said a Swiss court ruling has prohibited Floyd Landis from repeating claims that UCI leaders corruptly protected Lance Armstrong from a doping case.

"The judgment upholds and protects the integrity of the UCI and its presidents," the world cycling body said in a statement released with copies of the court document.

In a Sept. 26 ruling published Wednesday, Landis is ordered to pay UCI President Pat McQuaid and predecessor Hein Verbruggen 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,667) each, plus legal costs totaling 4,600 Swiss fancs ($4,900).

The ruling forbids Landis from stating that "Patrick (Pat) McQuaid and/or Henricus (Hein) Verbruggen have concealed cases of doping, received money for doing so, have accepted money from Lance Armstrong to conceal a doping case, have protected certain racing cyclists (and) concealed cases of doping."

Landis is also required to pay to announce the judgment in the Wall Street Journal, French sports daily L'Equipe and several cycling websites. The daily De Volksrant in Verbruggen's native Netherlands and Geneva daily Le Temps are also included on the court's list.

Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping, was sued in the district court in Vevey — near the UCI's headquarters in Aigle — after telling a German television station in November 2010 that the UCI protected some star riders from doping claims.

The same court is scheduled to hear another defamation case brought by the UCI, against Irish journalist Paul Kimmage on Dec. 12.Kimmage, a former Tour de France rider and anti-doping campaigner, has claimed the UCI and its leaders protected Armstrong from an alleged positive test for the blood-boosting hormone EPO at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland.

The UCI sued Kimmage last month after he made comments to L'Equipe and published an interview with Landis in British newspaper The Sunday Times.

"False accusations are unacceptable and unlawful, and the UCI will continue to defend itself against all such accusations," the governing body said Wednesday.

An American cycling website, www.cyclismas.com, launched a defense fund to help pay Kimmage's legal fees. On Wednesday, it had pledges of more than $50,000.

Landis has been given 10 days from receiving the court ruling to appeal, after which "the judgment shall become final and binding."

The document, headlined as a "Judgment by Default," stated that he faces further fines for failing to comply. However, Landis was not an active party in the civil court proceedings and it remains unclear how the orders would be enforced..