Astana enjoyed preferential treatment from drug testers during the Tour de France, according to the French anti-doping agency.

The AFLD has issued a 10-page document detailing how they feel Albert Contador, the Tour winner, and his team-mates - which at the time included Lance Armstrong - were treated favourably by the International Cyclist Union (UCI) testers.

"The Astana team benefited from a privileged treatment from the UCI officials," read an extract published in Le Monde.

Among the accusations is the claim that AFLD doctors noted on July 11 that UCI inspectors intervened to allow Astana riders an extra 45 minutes before testing rather than presenting themselves immediately as they should have done.

The AFLD has also lashed out at the UCI for not allowing their doctors to be present at tests in order to witness the correctness of the procedure.

The report added: "Such a tolerance accorded without real justification does not allow, in the absence of escorts, the perfect regularity of the procedure to be assured, notably that no manipulation was carried out."

The report also charges the UCI for wrongly labelling some samples as 'out of competition tests' adding that "this error is of course full of serious consequences" given that the list of substances banned 'in competition' is much more comprehensive.

The AFLD has sent the report to the UCI, the world anti-doping agency, France's ministers of health and sport, Roselyne Bachelot and Rama Yade, and the Tour's organisers Amaury Sport Organisation.

The UCI responded to the AFLD report, condemning the way in which the French authority have acted and stating the claims against Tour de France officials to be "completely unfounded" and "very serious".

A statement said: "The UCI considers the manner in which [AFLD president] Mr Pierre Bordry and his colleagues have proceeded to be completely unacceptable.

"While the UCI and AFLD together agreed a programme of testing for the 2009 Tour de France, 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.

"As to the substance of the matter, the UCI considers the accusations made by the AFLD against officials sent to the Tour de France to be completely unfounded and indeed very serious.

"The UCI fully respects the obligations arising from the World Anti-Doping Code: the equality of treatment of teams and riders is meticulously guaranteed, testing conditions completely conform to the prevailing standards and the rules on storing samples are rigorously observed."

The UCI also said their investigations showed Astana had "not been favoured in any way".

The cycling world body are now considering whether to use a "neutral partner" for future drug testing in France, the UCI said.