Jun 30, 2009, 15:26 GMT
Paris - After a court in Nanterre, near Paris, said it did not have jurisdiction to decide the case, Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen is going before the French Sports Tribunal to demand that he be allowed to ride in the Tour de France, the daily L'Equipe reported Tuesday.
Boonen's QuickStep team said in a statement that it would ask the Tribunal 'to allow Tom Boonen to be at the start of the 2009 Tour de France,' which begins Saturday in Monaco.
The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), which runs the Tour, banned the 2005 world road race champion from the race because he twice tested positive for cocaine.
Cocaine is not considered a performance-enhancing drug by cycling authorities and suspension is not automatic after a positive test.
But Boonen was also barred from the Tour de France last year after he tested positive for cocaine because, it was argued, his participation would damage the reputation of the sport.
The Sports Tribunal can take on a case on an emergency basis because only days remain before the start of the race. Its decision will be final.
Your Talkback on this Story