Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen will be allowed to compete in the Tour de France after a successful appeal to the arbitration panel of the French Olympic Committee over his drugs ban.
Race organisers Amaury Sport Organisation had banned the 28-year-old from taking part after he tested positive for cocaine in April in an out-of-competition test.
The Quick Step rider looked set to miss the Tour for the second successive year after a French court ruled late last month that they were powerless to make a judgement on his suspension.
However, Boonen then took his case to the Court of Arbitration of the French Olympic Committee, who have ruled - a day before the showpiece event gets under way - that he should be permitted to take part.
A statement on the official Tour website, www.letour.fr, read: "After the decision announced on the 3rd of July by the Sport Arbitration Chamber (Chambre Arbitrale du Sport, CAS), Tom Boonen of the Quick Step team will be at the start of the 2009 Tour de France. ASO takes this decision into account."
"The management of the Tour de France believes that, considering the great champion that Tom Boonen is, he will relish the opportunity that has been given to him and that he will have an exemplary attitude during the event."
The Quick Step team posted a brief statement on their website, www.qsi-cycling.com, which read: "Good news for our Belgian champion!"
"The Chambre Arbitrale Francaise du Sport has decided that Tom Boonen may compete in the Tour de France. Around 2.30pm there will be a press conference."
Boonen was banned from the Tour last year after he tested positive for cocaine in May.
Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong insists he is not bothered by being 'particularly monitored' by anti-doping controls at this summer's Tour de France.
French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot said an especially close eye would be kept on the Astana rider.
"The (doping) controls will be multiplied, and I tell Lance Armstrong that he will be particularly, particularly, particularly monitored," Bachelot told TV channel i-Tele.
"There needs to be a really very, very active fight against doping. The organisers know how much a positive doping test could have harmful effects."
The seven-time Tour winner is, though, unconcerned, claiming he is used to being under the spotlight.
"No worries, it's been this way for 10 years. I have nothing to hide," Armstrong said on his Twitter page.
The race starts on Saturday night in Monaco.