The 30-year-old American is facing the loss of his title and a two-year ban after he returned a positive test for abnormal levels of testosterone following his win in the 17th stage of the Tour earlier this month.

The UCI said Tuesday that it had pushed the Chatenay-Malabry laboratory in France to go ahead and test the B sample -- as they believe a quick solution to the affair would be better for the sport.

"We have done everything to ensure that all goes quickly and the laboratory has agreed to extend its opening hours until Saturday," UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told AFP.

Landis has said that he expects the second sample to return a similar result to the first but insists that he is innocent.

If Landis is stripped of his title he would be the first ever champion to suffer that fate.