The 32-year-old had been competing at the American Elite and Junior Track National Championships, which were held from August 3 to 8, and provided an Adverse Analytical Finding for noroxycodone, a metabolite of oxycodone, to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Following a hearing in front of a three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA), it was found Lea had committed an anti-doping violation and he was handed the 16 month ban.

“We were very saddened and disappointed to learn that Bobby Lea tested positive for the narcotic noroxycodone, a metabolite of oxycodone, at the 2015 Track National Championships in August," said Derek Bouchard-Hall, USA Cycling chief executive.

“It is not acceptable for an elite athlete to compete with unauthorised prohibited substances in his or her system, and we support USADA’s findings and the sanctions imposed.

“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of USADA’s testing and adjudication process, and that it is absolutely essential for athletes to be vigilant in competing according to anti-doping regulations."

Lea, who had won points race gold at the Championships, had been hoping to compete at his fourth Olympics at Rio 2016 but will now miss the Games with the ban set to run until next December.

The American had competed in the points race at the Beijing 2008 Games, while he finished 12th in the omnium at London 2012.

He was able to secure scratch race bronze at this year’s International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Cycling World Championships, which took place in Paris, France, in February. 

Despite admitting to taking a medication containing the substance, Lea revealed his intention to appeal his ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“On the night of August 7th, in a state of post-race exhaustion and having run out of my normal sleep aid, I made the poor choice to take my prescription Percocet hoping it would help me rest,” he wrote in a statement.

“This medication had been prescribed by a doctor to help me manage pain and sleep while traveling for competition, especially in the event of a crash, because it was late at night, and I was trying to sleep, I failed to check my prescribed medication against the prohibited list, an action I have correctly executed hundreds of times over the years.

“Had I done that I would have seen that Percocet is not banned when used out of competition, but is banned in-competition.

“At the end of the day, I made a mistake and that was wrong.

"I know that as an athlete, I am accountable for everything that I ingest, regardless of the source, I live with my mistake and I accept full responsibility for it.

“However, because I want to end my career on the track and not in a lawyer’s conference room, I will appeal this sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”