The French anti-doping agency has asked the International Cycling Union (UCI) for authorization to perform additional tests during the Tour de France.

AFLD president Pierre Bordry told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he sent an e-mail to UCI counterpart Pat McQuaid to offer him the additional drug tests "in accordance with the World Anti-Doping code."

Bordry said he will turn to WADA if McQuaid refuses his proposal.

The UCI will be in charge of the doping tests during the three-week race next July.

AFLD and UCI have clashed since Bordry accused UCI drug testers of favoring Lance Armstrong's former team Astana during last year's Tour.

"We are a national agency and we are not allowed to supervise the drug tests during international competition, but we can ask for extra controls," Bordry said in a phone interview. "The World Anti-Doping agency clarified this point last weekend during a meeting of its executive committee."

According to Bordry, the UCI also refused to allow the French agency the right to use the computer files designed to locate the riders.

"We want to control the riders who will be training in France before the race starts," Bordry said. "Without those files, it will be difficult to find them but we'll try and find a solution."

Bordry said the AFLD was able to perform only 13 out-of-competition doping tests before last year's race because the UCI refused to fully cooperate with the agency.

"They were giving us details of the riders' location only on the eve of the tests," said Bordry, adding that the AFLD did 80 out-of-competition doping tests prior the 2008 race when it was in charge of the testing program.