Tour de France - UCI refute French claims over Astana

The UCI has defended testing procedures after the French Anti-doping Agency said the Astana team of Tour champion Alberto Contador were given preferential treatment during the race.

"The UCI considers the accusations of the AFLD to be completely groundless and even very serious," the sport's governing body said in a statement.

"Following doubts already expressed by the AFLD, the UCI had launched an investigation on the treatment granted to Astana and had concluded that this team had not been favoured," the UCI said.

The ALFD report, published in part by French daily Le Monde on Monday, alleged Astana, who also had seven-times Tour winner Lance Armstrong in their ranks for the race, "were always the last to be tested in the morning, there were delays in presenting themselves to the tester."

AFLD president Pierre Bordry, who levelled similar criticisms against the UCI during the Tour, is due to hold a news conference on Wednesday.

Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens told Reuters: "The Astana team have always done what they were asked by testers. If AFLD have any questions on their working methods, they'd better contact them."

The UCI and the AFLD had agreed to work together on the Tour de France, but the sport's governing body is considering another option for next year's race.

"The UCI is now considering to collaborate with a neutral partner on French ground. Such an option has already been implemented by other international federations," the UCI statement said.

Reuters