Landis then confessed last year he has used performance enhancing drugs throughout his career, at the same time alleging doping was rife in his former team, US Postal Services – the team most associated with seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong.

His comments drew criticism from many quarters, and Landis has now decided to turn his back on competitive racing.

“I don’t want to come across that I’m quitting because I am bitter,” he told ESPN.

“I’ve spent five years trying to get to a place that I can never go back to and that’s causing more stress than it is worth. There must be more to life than this.

“I’ll always ride my bike but I’ll never start on a line on a road and try to get to another line on a road faster than another guy.”