The Tour de France has moved to bar Chris Froome from competing in the race, with a hearing on Tuesday set to determine whether the decision should be upheld.

The race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) is determined to protect the Tour’s image from the potentially damaging scenario which occurred in the Giro d’Italia which Froome won under the cloud of his adverse sample during the 2017 Vuelta, the case for which is yet to be heard.

ASO has blocked Team Sky’s registration of Froome, according to Le Monde, pointing to article 29 of its own rules which states it “reserves the right to refuse the participation in – or disqualify from – the event, a team or one of its members whose presence is liable to damage the image or reputation of ASO or those of the event”.

The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Show all 27 1 /27 The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Grande partenza Reigning champion Tom Dumoulin is greeted by local fans in Jerusalem ahead of stage one. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Grande partenza The Israel Cycling Academy greets their local supporters. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage one The Briton bears the injuries of his pre-race crash. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage one Tom Dumoulin hits the road in the opening stage, an individual time trial. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage one Dumoulin celebrates his victory, edging out Rohan Dennis and Victor Campenaerts by two seconds. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage two The peloton during stage two. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage two Israel Cycling Academy rider Guillaume Boivin is given some encouragement on the streets of Israel. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage two Elia Viviani celebrates winning stage two in a sprint finish in Tel Aviv. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage three The pack rides through the Israeli desert. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage four Rohan Dennis celebrates in the Maglia Rosa at the end of stage four in Caltagirone, Sicily. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage five The peloton rides through Sciacca, Sicily. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage five Enrico Battaglin celebrates clinching stage five on the streets of Santa Ninfa, Sicily. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage six The pack rides through Piazza Armerina near Enna, Sicily. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage seven The peloton snakes through Pizzo Calabro. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage eight Ecuador's Richard Carapaz celebrates as he crosses the finish line in Montevergine. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage nine Simon Yates wearing the Maglia Rosa. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage nine The peloton head through the forest. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage nine Reigning champion Tom Dumoulin in the peloton. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage nine The pack ride past a poppy field on route to Gran Sasso. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage nine Race leader Simon Yates during stage nine. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 10 Matej Mohoric sprints to clinch the stage in Gualdo Tadino. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 11 Simon Yates celebrates his second stage win of the Giro. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 11 Yates takes a glance at the famous gold trophy. The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 12 The peloton on route to Imola racetrack. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 13 The pack rides between Ferrara and Nervesa della Battaglia. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 14 Chris Froome climbs to victory on the Monte Zoncolan. AFP/Getty Images The best images from the 2018 Giro d'Italia Stage 15 Yates celebrates after claiming his third stage win of the Giro to extend his lead to 2min 11sec. Getty

Team Sky has appealed the decision and the case will now be heard in the court of arbitration of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) on Tuesday, four days before the race’s start on Saturday 7 July.

Froome was found to have double the permitted level of the asthma drug Salbutamol in his system when tested after stage 18 of his Vuelta triumph last September. Salbutamol is a specified substance rather than a prohibited one, meaning Froome was allowed the chance explain the test result and continue racing in the meantime.

Froome and Team Sky have denied any wrongdoing.

The investigation into Chris Froome’s adverse drugs test is ongoing (Getty)

He has assembled an expensive legal team to present his case but is yet to propose a date for any hearing, and continues to insist that he is desperate for the affair to be resolved as soon as possible. He has faced criticism from some fellow and former riders, suggesting he should step aside from competing while the case remains unresolved.

ASO has not commented, but a Team Sky spokesman insisted: “We are confident that Chris will be riding the Tour as we know he has done nothing wrong.”