Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been called to a hearing by the French anti-doping agency to determine whether he can race again in France.
Landis, who tested positive for elevated testosterone levels during last year's Tour, did not immediately say whether he would attend the hearing in Paris on Feb. 8, officials of the French Agency Against Doping said Friday.
The American cyclist, who has consistently denied allegations he used a banned substance, was informed of the summons Thursday but has not yet responded, said Philippe Dautry, the agency's secretary general. He was confirming a report in the daily Le Monde.
Landis is being asked to appear before a nine-member panel of the agency but can be represented by a lawyer if he chooses, Dautry said.
Tour organizers have said they no longer consider Landis the champion of cycling's premier race, but the agency said it would act fairly.
``We're making no assumptions in this case,'' agency president Pierre Bordry said. ``There will be a debate and we will then see if there is cause to sanction.''
The panel could ban Landis from racing on French territory, a decision that could potentially keep him out of future Tours. A decision could be made immediately after the hearing or later, Dautry said.
Landis faces disciplinary hearings in France and the United States and ultimately risks losing his victory.
The cyclist has adamantly contested the positive results reported by France's Chatenay-Malabry laboratory and questioned how the lab handles doping tests. He has charged that the tests on his samples were mishandled and the analysis based on ``flawed science.''
