French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour has called for the postponement of next week's French anti-doping agency (AFLD) hearing into the case of Floyd Landis until the American cyclist has appeared before the U.S Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Lamour said that he was speaking as vice-president of the world anti-doping agency (WADA) and not in his capacity as French sports minister.

"It's wiser to await the hearing of Landis by the USADA," said Lamour.

"It's not a recommendation but an opinion. It's more productive to focus on the American hearing (scheduled for March) rather than maintaining a summons to France which the concerned party will not attend."

Landis, who won last year's Tour de France but tested positive for testosterone, has been summoned to the AFLD hearing scheduled for February 8.

The French agency called for the hearing last month, despite the ongoing process in the U.S. While the French agency has no authority over Landis’s license, it does have the right to bar him from competing on French soil, which would obviously include the Tour de France.

Landis, too, has asked for the French hearing to be postponed and has said that would not attend even it is scheduled. Observers note that it is possible the hearing will be recessed shortly after a formal start.