PARIS (Reuters) - Danish rider Michael Rasmussen has been banned for two years by the Monaco Cycling Federation after he was expelled from last year's Tour de France, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Tuesday.

"Yes, I can confirm it," UCI president Pat McQuaid told Reuters when asked whether Italian media reports saying Rasmussen had been banned for two years were correct.

Rasmussen, 34, who lives in Italy, was sacked by his Rabobank team while leading the tour four days from the finish after it emerged he had lied about his whereabouts in training.

He has been facing a two-year ban since February when the International Cycling Union (UCI) called on the Monaco federation to discipline him.

The union said in February that after an extensive and careful investigation it believed the rider had acted in a premeditated manner and had prevented doping controls from being undertaken.

Rasmussen, who has denied doping, said last November he lied in the runup to the race because of personal problems.

(Reporting by Mark Meadows and Francois Thomazeau; Editing by John Mehaffey)