2009-06-23 15:51:05 -

BRUSSELS (AP) - A lawyer for Tom Boonen said Tuesday they will make their case to get the cyclist reinstated in this year's Tour de France at a court hearing near Paris later this week.
Jean-Louis Dupont, lawyer for Boonen's Quick Step team said they «hoped for a court injunction» by this Friday or early next week to ensure Boonen could ride in next month's race.
Dupont said in a statement a hearing had been set at a court in Nanterre, west of Paris on Thursday.
Boonen has been barred from this year's tour by race organizers after the Belgian tested positive for cocaine for the second time in less than a year.
The 28-yaer-old cyclist and his Quick Step team decided to take action immediately after the ASO organization, which owns the Tour, said the cyclist would be banned even though the international cycling federation has taken no action.

Boonen's latest positive test was carried out in April. He tested positive for the same drug in May 2008 and was banned by Tour organizers from last year's event.
Boonen was not sanctioned because the positive test came while he was resting between the spring classics and preparation races for the Tour.
The Tour, a prestigious three-week race held this year from July 4-26, is the highlight of the cycling calendar and the absence of Boonen would have a huge impact on the team.