MALIBU, California: A laboratory technician has denied leaking information to French newspaper L'Equipe about Tour de France champion Floyd Landis testing positive for doping.

Cynthia Mongongu, an analytical chemist at Chatenay-Malabry laboratory (LNDD) outside Paris, was asked under cross-examination on Wednesday whether she had spoken to the newspaper after Landis's back-up 'B' samples were re-tested in April.

"Absolutely not," Mongongu told Landis's attorney Howard Jacobs on a slow-moving third day of the cyclist's arbitration hearing being held at Pepperdine University.

Asked whether she knew the reporter who wrote the article in L'Equipe one day after the re-testing was completed, she replied: "No."

She added she was never questioned on the matter by LNDD director Jacques de Ceaurriz.

Landis, battling to maintain his 2006 Tour de France title after testing positive for elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels, has consistently denied using performance enhancing drugs.

Source: China Daily/agencies