Alberto Contador won this year's Tour for Astana

The International Cycling Union has rubbished claims that the Astana team received preferential treatment in drug tests at this year's Tour de France.

The team, who included winner Alberto Contador and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, were singled out by the French anti-doping agency (AFLD).

The AFLD report suggests Astana were "always the last to be tested".

But the UCI - and the Astana team themselves - have rejected the claims made in the report.

Published in part by French newspaper Le Monde on Monday, the report alleged that there were "always delays in presenting (Astana) to the tester".

AFLD president Pierre Bordry, who made similar allegations regarding Contador's team during the Tour earlier this year, will hold a press conference on Wednesday.

Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens responded to the claims by saying: "The Astana team have always done what they were asked by testers.

"If AFLD have any questions on working methods, they better contact them (the testers)."

Meanwhile, the UCI, who had agreed a joint programme of testing for the 2009 Tour with the AFLD, angrily denied the allegations.

This is certainly not what one would expect from a professional, reliable partnership working together International Cycling Union

A statement read: "The UCI considers the manner in which Mr Bordry and his colleagues have proceeded to be completely unacceptable.

"The AFLD has drawn up and published a unilateral report, without giving the UCI the opportunity to study it and correct any erroneous comments that it may contain.

"This is certainly not what one would expect from a professional, reliable partnership working together in the battle against doping."

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

Contador is expected to ride again for Astana next year, but Armstrong is set to be in the saddle for his newly launched Team RadioShack.

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