Floyd Landis is facing legal action from the International Cycling Union (UCI) and its current and former leader over his allegations of doping in the pro cycling sport.

The governing body on Wednesday announced it was joined by president Pat McQuaid and his predecessor Hein Verbruggen to pursue Landis over his "unacceptable" claims.

The UCI, McQuaid and Verbruggen "have lodged a case in the Swiss courts against Mr. Floyd Landis regarding repeated, serious attacks against their characters," it said in a statement.

"By this step, made necessary by numerous unacceptable public statements by Mr. Landis, the UCI is seeking to defend the integrity of the cycling movement as a whole against the accusations of a rider who, by breaching the anti-doping rules, caused cycling serious harm," the Swiss-based body said.

Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping, told a German television channel last November that the UCI had acted corruptly and protected some star riders from doping claims.

In February, lawyers for McQuaid and Verbruggen wrote to the retired American racer giving him 15 days to withdraw the claims or face legal action.

Verbruggen, who led the UCI from 1991 to 2005, after Landis made the claims said that Landis was "kindly invited to prove what he says."

One year ago, Landis made allegations of widespread drug use in cycling, which fueled an ongoing U.S. federal investigation that has targeted his former teammate Lance Armstrong (Now with Team RadioShack).